The Confrontational Approach
by Advocaat
Summary: In which Prince Zuko can't catch a break. "Wait, you tied Katara to a tree? Wow, that's... I mean... that just explains so much." "I was desperate!" "Whoa! Way too much information there, Sparky." Zutara
1. A Wild Brother Appeared!

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Pairing: Zutara

**Edit: This chapter has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to not suck quite so completely. **

Special thanks to my good friend **Boogum** *cue fanfare* for helping me revise this monster. You are an awesome sandwich with spicy sauce.

Chapter One

A Wild Brother Appeared!

It was shaping up to be an especially lovely day at the Western Air Temple. The sky was cloudless and a pleasant breeze offered welcome relief from the often near-suffocating heat of midsummer. It was the kind of day that made you feel like nothing could go wrong, and everyone was in a noticeably better mood for it.

As usual, Zuko had woken Aang at the bum-crack of dawn for his firebending lesson and the two had spent most of the morning training. As noon approached, Aang wandered off to try to use his airbending to sneak up on Toph. It had become something of a personal challenge for him to see how close he could get before she noticed him. Predictably, this ended with Aang encased to his neck in stone and treated to the standard dosage of Toph-sass – "you've failed the last fourteen times you tried, but don't learn from that or anything. I'm sure it'll work _next_ time". Sokka was with Suki and Katara in the large hall behind the fountain where the group often took their meals, absently fiddling with his boomerang while he waited for his sister to finish preparing their lunch. Hakoda had elected to go hunting with Chit Sang, as according to Sokka their supply of meat was worryingly low. Haru, Teo, and The Duke were off somewhere in the belly of the temple being completely inconsequential, likely due to the fact that not even Mike and Bryan knew why they were kept around for the second half of season three.

Zuko was the first to arrive for lunch, freshly dressed after his session with Aang. He nodded to Sokka and Suki as he entered, and they greeted him with a wave and a "hey, Zuko," respectively. Katara simply carried on bending the contents of her pot, pretending not to notice him. The golden-eyed teenager stared at the waterbender thoughtfully for a moment before walking toward her with determined steps. Sokka looked up from his weapon, waiting to see how this would play out. Why Zuko persisted in approaching her like this, despite the likelihood of incurring her wrath, none of them knew.

But Sokka had his guesses.

Zuko stopped a polite distance from the frosty young woman and cleared his throat awkwardly to get her attention before asking if she needed any help with lunch.

Katara made no move to indicate that she'd even heard him, but Zuko maintained his position, undeterred. Finally, she looked up from her stew and met his gaze, and he simply continued to stand passively before her, awaiting a reply. To everyone's surprise, instead of scowling and shooting him down like she always did, she just nodded and sent him to retrieve bowls from their packs.

Zuko turned to go, and Sokka saw him smile slightly. Sokka knew that smile. _Oh, no,_ the Water Tribe teen thought as he watched the older boy pad off to fetch their dishes, _this is going to stop right now._

oO0Oo

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><p>After everyone had eaten and run off to do their own thing, Zuko went to the large covered area that the group used as a common space, trying to decide how he would spend his free afternoon. His training sessions with Aang had been especially intense since his and Sokka's return from the Boiling Rock, as he wanted to make up for the days they'd missed. Usually Aang would have another round with Zuko before Toph stole him away for earthbending practice, but the airbender had been noticeably more attentive in his lessons lately and even Zuko admitted that he deserved a break.<p>

Stepping out onto the wide platform, he saw that Toph was there as well, occupying a fallen stone off to one side and picking at her toes. She gave him a nod as he walked by and he responded with a sociable "Hey." He stopped at the edge of the platform and looked out into the canyon, considering his options. It occurred to him that he should probably use this time to catch up on his sword training. His precious Daos been sadly neglected since he joined the Avatar's group, and he couldn't have them collecting dust. Nothing kills badassery quite like mothballs.

Satisfied with this plan, he turned around and was just about to head to his room to grab his swords when he noticed Sokka leaning against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. A scowl Zuko immediately realized was leveled at him. He was surprised by this, as he and Sokka had been getting along much better since their trip to the Boiling Rock, but the look the dark-skinned boy was giving him now was less than friendly. Zuko wracked is brain for anything he might have done to warrant the other boy's ire but came up with nothing.

"Is something wrong?" he asked carefully, not wanting to provoke Sokka further.

Sokka pushed himself away from the pillar and strode over until he was standing directly in front of him. "Oh, something's wrong alright," he responded crisply. "I've seen the way you look at her." This accusation was accompanied by the feeling of a hard finger being shoved into Zuko's chest.

Zuko looked at him, startled. "What?"

"Don't you 'what' me," Sokka jabbed his finger harder and narrowed his eyes threateningly. "You know what I'm talking about!"

Zuko was completely baffled. "Wait, back up a bit. Who are we talking about?"

"My sister, obviously!" Sokka was now attempting to impale Zuko with his finger, an act that the firebender found decidedly annoying and uncomfortable. "These eyes aren't just for show, you know. I've been watching you. _Closely_."

Zuko blinked. "That's, uh... kind of creepy."

Sokka's eyebrows rose briefly, but quickly lowered again into a glower. "You're the creepy one here!" He stopped stabbing Zuko with his finger in favor of shaking it in the prince's face instead. "Creepin' on my baby sister all creepily!" A tactical genius Sokka may be, but renown for his vocabulary, he was not.

Zuko held out his hands in a placating gesture. "You're not making any sense. Just calm down and-"

"I'M COMPLETELY CALM!"

"Must run in the family," Toph piped up from her fallen chunk of ceiling. Floor? Whatever.

Sokka ignored her and continued to glare daggers at Zuko.

Zuko tried once again to soothe Sokka's wrath. "Look, I'm not sure what you think you've seen, but even if I do look at Katara from time to time, that's only natural. I can't _not_ look at her."

Sokka's glare only intensified. Zuko realized how that sounded and hurriedly tried to fix it.

"I mean, we're all living together, so even if I don't want to, I have to look at her sometimes." He saw Sokka quirk an eyebrow and added, "Not that there's anything wrong with her appearance. She's very nice to look at."

He blushed and sagged his shoulders, this wasn't coming out the way he wanted, and Sokka wasn't looking very convinced. Rather than continuing to dig himself deeper, he took a second to collect himself before trying again. "What I'm trying to say is that I do look at Katara, but not the way you think. And even if I did, you and I both know nothing would ever come of it. She _hates_ me!"

"So you admit it!" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly.

"What? No!" This conversation was going nowhere faster than Azula's love life. "I-"

"Look, Zuko," Sokka interrupted, laying a hand on the taller boy's shoulder, "I respect you as a fellow warrior, comrade, and broseph,"

"Bro-what?"

"_However_," he continued, "lusting after my sister, even _thinking_ of touching her with your slimy Fire Nation hands-"

"My hands are in no way slimy!" Zuko took pride in his hygiene, thank you very much.

"-is absolutely and irrevocably prohibited. Kapish?"

There was a measure of silence as the two just kind of looked at each other. Zuko was completely at a loss for what to say. He would be lying if he said he didn't find Katara attractive, he would be lying if he said he didn't think about her frequently, and he would most definitely be lying if he told Sokka that the desire, repressed though it was, for her to think of him too never whispered in his heart. Luckily, Zuko had no problem with lying if it saved him from an awkward situation. Not so luckily, he was terrible at it. Plus, Toph was sitting ten feet away, so lying now would be ill advised.

"What about Aang?" he asked instead. "He's obviously infatuated with her. Did he get the same warning, or am I somehow special?"

"Aang is twelve," Sokka defended, "And he was raised by _monks_. He's probably never even been told about the sparrowkeets and the butterbees."

"You think the Air Nomads didn't reproduce?" Zuko asked skeptically, folding his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrow.

Sokka's face screwed up in thought, as if it honestly hadn't occurred to him that Air Nomads came from sex just like everyone else. This was confirmed when he said, "Well, I guess they must have, to keep their race going... and stuff."

Somehow Zuko managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. "Then don't you think that Aang, being about the age when puberty hits, would've been subject to some manner of _talk_ about how his body is changing and, you know, what it's _used_ for?"

Sokka seemed to consider this for a moment, then he abruptly paled.

"Come to think of it, Twinkletoes has been going off on his own a lot lately," Toph added with a grin. "He won't tell me what he's doing, but I suspect he'd be perfectly happy to let _Katara_ help him out with it."

Trust Toph to be perfectly on top of such an awkward and uncomfortable subject.

Sokka's expression changed to utter horror, and Zuko could tell by how his eyes were darting around that he was trying to mentally place his sister's and Aang's current positions within the temple. "I, uh, have to go now," he stated suddenly, "You know, important planning to do. Good talk, Zuko." Then he turned and fled off through the temple.

As soon as he was gone, Zuko turned to the blind twelve-year-old. "Are you serious?"

"Of course not," she said, picking some dirt from under her fingernail and flicking it at him, "That kid's as innocent as they come."

Zuko let out a small breath of relief.

"I just thought I'd help you out. Captain meat-for-brains was having a bit of a rant, and his rants can go on for a while. As much as I delight in watching you flail your way through awkward situations, I don't wish a Sokka-rant on anyone."

"Oh, thanks. I think."

"Don't mention it."

Toph then turned away from him and laid back on her rock, folding her arms behind her head. Assuming this meant the conversation was over, Zuko turned to go, but then she spoke again.

"You know, he doesn't actually disapprove of your little crush on Katara."

Zuko's good eye widened a bit and he turned back around to look at her. She moved her head so that she was facing the ceiling, and he could see that her mouth was set in an amused smirk.

"He just doesn't want her to get hurt. Although, you probably should consider toning down your ogling a bit. I'm surprised nobody else has noticed yet. Heck, I'm surprised _Katara_ hasn't noticed yet. You're not exactly subtle."

"How would you know? You can't even see me," Zuko tried to defend himself.

"Please," she snorted. "Don't look down on me, Hotstuff. Every fanfiction author knows that I can feel your heart rate accelerate when you think about her, and I sense your hesitance when you two are in a room together. These feet don't lie." She crossed her legs and waved her raised foot for emphasis.

Zuko sighed, defeated. "Anything else your feet feel like sharing?" he asked dryly.

"Actually, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about," she said, her tone turning serious. "You and Katara have been dancing around each other since you arrived here. I haven't known you as long as the others, but from what I've heard, whatever this... _issue_ is that you two have with each other is a recent development." She turned her face toward him then, and he if he didn't know better, he would swear that those milky eyes were trained directly on his. It was unnerving, Zuko decided, being stared at by a blind person. "I know that you spent a lot of time chasing Aang and Sokka and Katara across the globe before I met them," she continued, "They talked about you quite a bit, actually."

"Really? What did they say?" he cut in. He couldn't help his curiosity.

Toph turned towards the ceiling again and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, you know. Just things like how annoying it was that you always seemed to show up wherever they went, and how stubborn and angry and demanding you were..."

_Oh,_ he thought, shifting awkwardly.

"And Katara was pretty miffed at you because of some incident involving her necklace and pirates," she added.

He brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his head guiltily. "I should probably apologize to her for that. I feel really bad about tying her to a tree. I never-"

"Wait, you tied Katara to a tree?" Toph interrupted, her voice full of awe, "Wow, that's... I mean... that just explains _so much_."

"I was desperate!" he defended quickly.

"Whoa! _Way_ too much information there, Sparky."

Zuko choked and blushed furiously. Why did words hate him so much? "Not like that! I was just trying to get information about the Avatar!"

"Sure you were. Anyway, my point is that despite all you've done to them and however mad they may have been at you, I didn't feel any serious hostility from them. Not any 'this guy is the spawn of Koh and we'd be doing the world a favor if we offed his sorry butt!' kind of hostility anyway."

This surprised him. They had every right to feel that way about him, but they didn't?

"That's why I was so surprised to hear Katara threaten you like she did the night you joined us."

He felt his heart drop. "You heard that?"

"Yes, I did," she said, frowning seriously, "and I've never known Katara to act like that. Towards anyone. Ever."

If Zuko had still had any doubts about the small bender's intention for this conversation, they were cleared up with that last statement. "I betrayed her," he confessed.

"Yeah, I kind of gathered that already." Clearly she didn't see any big issue with this.

"She tried to help me, and I helped my sister nearly murder Aang." His shoulders drooped, and he said softly, "She has every single right to abhor me."

Toph flicked another piece of dirt at him. "Don't get mopey on me, Lordling. Katara doesn't hate you."

He wiped the bit of cruft off his tunic and looked back at her in confusion. "What are you talking about? Of course she does."

She snorted and rolled a tiny rock between her fingers, then she flicked that at him too. "Don't be stupid," she told him plainly. "She's wary around you and she doesn't trust you, but she certainly doesn't hate you."

"I think you need to get your feet checked," he said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "And would you stop that?" he added, protecting his face as another piece of gravel was chucked at him.

"Let me ask you something, Zuko," Toph said, suddenly sitting up and leaning forward over her crossed legs as if to better observe him. "Do you hate Katara?"

Zuko stared at her dumbly for a moment, caught off guard by the question. "No," he answered, "I don't hate her."

Toph crossed her arms. "Then why would you think she hates _you_?"

"I don't follow." How would his feelings about Katara in any way affect her feelings about him?

"Think about it," Toph said, frowning at him, "Katara actively participated in keeping you from getting what you wanted, right?"

Zuko made an affirmative noise and waited for her to go on.

"Look, you and I both know the feeling of superiority that you get when you've grown up with wealth and status. To people like us, Katara is nothing but a hardly-memorable little peasant. She shouldn't have been worth a second glance, and yet she taunted you and fought against you and was a constant thorn in your side for half a year."

That was true. It had driven him up a wall how she managed to thwart him _every time_.

"I've heard a lot about you, Zuko," Toph continued, "and not just from the others. I know you're quick to anger and slow to forgive. Katara's pretty much the opposite. She's irritable, don't get me wrong, but she's also patient and understanding. She always tries to see the good in people. If what happened between you two wasn't enough for you to hate her, then how could it be anywhere near enough for her to hate you?"

Zuko could see her point, but she was ignoring half the issue. "I attacked her home. I kidnapped Aang. I burned down her brother's girlfriend's village. I tried to bribe her with her precious necklace. I knocked her out and took Aang _again_! I manhandled her grandmother, for Agni's sake!" He looked down at his feet, and said more to himself, "Her grandmother! Who does that?"

"I can tell you've done a lot of reflecting on this," Toph said with a small smile, leaning back on her hands, "but I already told you that none of them hate you for those things. Katara's anger is from something else."

"Like helping my crazy sister kill Aang?" he asked dryly.

"You know, that's the part I don't get. I mean, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her that you'd side with your family. Your goal was always to capture the Avatar and that was a prime opportunity. Why would she expect you to give it up?" Toph leaned forward even further and furrowed her eyebrows, her face suddenly more serious than Zuko had ever seen it. "What happened between you and Katara in Ba Sing Se?"

"Katara didn't tell you?" Zuko asked, surprised.

Toph shook her head. "She hasn't told any of us. All she said was that you talked about your mother and made yourself seem like you were _a real person with feelings_. But I know there's more to it than that. Katara is notorious for trying to solve everyone else's problems, but she's too stubborn to let others help her with her own. That girl's a mother to her core."

"More like a scorned matriarch, if you ask me," Zuko muttered.

"You know, it's funny. You're the only one she really shows that side of herself to. She's so _domestic_ around the rest of us that we often forget how powerful she is, but she has abilities that you can't even imagine."

Zuko didn't doubt it; he'd seen Katara fight, but in that moment his mind was more concerned with the initial question.

"She offered to heal me," he stated suddenly, catching the earthbender off guard. "You asked me what happened in Ba Sing Se. She offered to heal me."

Toph's looked surprised. "You were hurt?"

"No, I mean my scar, she said she'd heal it," he clarified.

"You have a scar?"

"You know, the one on my face? It's kind of hard to miss."

"Really? Toph said sarcastically. "I wonder why I never noticed it."

Zuko's palm connected with his forehead. "Right, sorry. I guess I had a bit of a Sokka-moment."

She shrugged. "It happens to the best of us. Sokka's stupidity likes to express itself through other hosts from time to time. I like to think of it as a particularly virile contagion. Symptoms include increased gullibility, bad humor, and inhibition of the brain's common sense receptors. Experts are working around the clock to find a cure, however the lack of progress has been discouraging."

"Sounds serious. When I become Fire Lord, I'll put my best doctors to work on the matter."

"Please do," she said. Then, because she couldn't seem to help herself, she asked, "So, you have a scar on your face? What's it look like?"

Zuko tensed. "It's big and ugly and it covers most of the left side of my face," he said quickly, "Look, can we not talk about it? I thought you wanted to know what happened in the cave."

Toph raised an eyebrow, as if she knew exactly why he was trying to change the subject. "Listen, Hotman–" that earned her a grumble "–I don't see the way you do, so I can only imagine how the physical characteristics of a person affect how other people see them, but your scar can't be that big of a deal-breaker."

"What do you mean?" he asked, skeptically.

"I mean that according to Suki and Katara, you're plenty good looking."

His heart quickened, which seemed to attract Toph's attention, as she scooted forward in interest.

"They talk about you a lot, you know," she continued. "Just last night I overheard the two of them before dinner. Katara was complaining about how _distracting_ you are to have around, and then Fan Girl told her it's perfectly natural to be distracted by such a "pulchritudinous specimen of the male persuasion". Katara tried to deny it, of course. She said that being pretty didn't make you a better person, and that she wasn't referring to your looks in the first place, but even Suki could tell that she was lying. Then Suki said, "Really? Have you tried imagining him without clothes?" Let me tell you, that shut Sweetness up pretty quick."

Zuko was mortified. His cheeks burned, and he found himself opening and closing his mouth like a fish, wanting to speak but not quite managing to form any sounds. Not that he knew what to say in response. Fortunately, Toph seemed to feel that reducing him to a flustered, gaping mess was satisfaction enough.

"Now then, back to the matter of you and Katara," Toph said, pulling their conversation back on track, "Apparently you have a nasty scar on your face and she offered to get rid of it, but obviously she didn't since you still have it. Then you picked your crazy sister over her. I still don't see what she's so excessively mad about."

Zuko's shoulders slumped and he looked down at his hands. "It's a little more complicated than that."

Toph sighed and crossed her arms. "Look, instead of playing twenty questions, how about you just tell me what happened. From the beginning."

"I... why do you even want to know so bad, anyway?"

That earned him an incredulous snort. "Why? My normally calm and understanding friend threatened our newest ally like a homicidal maniac. Wouldn't you be curious, too? And besides, this drama between you guys is putting everyone on edge, especially Aang, and he has a war to focus on. If I knew what the problem was, maybe I could help."

Zuko repressed a sigh. He'd certainly be happy to accept any help that he could get in earning Katara's acceptance, as his own methods were getting him nowhere. At first he'd just tried to stay out of her way, hoping that she would simply get used to him with time, but her attitude hadn't improved, and he'd changed his approach to be more direct: offering his assistance with chores, making tea for everyone, and doing his post-breakfast lesson with Aang where she could supervise them (she was never awake for the pre-breakfast lesson). However, no matter how hard he tried, Katara didn't budge.

"I was captured by Azula and her Dai Li agents. That's how I ended up in the catacombs," Zuko explained, deciding he had no choice but to confide in Toph. "I don't know why Katara was there. She got really mad when she saw me. She assumed that I had arranged our imprisonment so that I could capture Aang when he showed up to rescue her."

Toph uncrossed her arms and leaned back again. "Well, you can't really blame her for that. Hunting Aang was kinda your thing," she reminded him.

"I don't blame her. I wouldn't react any better if I were locked in a cave with Azula or Zhao. But I _was_ irritated," he admitted. "I'd just been tricked, captured, and shut up in a cave by my sister, and being harped at by an angry waterbender hadn't helped."

Toph chuckled a bit at that. "You don't need to convince me. I know how Katara gets when she's feeling self-righteous. So what did she say?"

"She told me I was a terrible person for trying to capture the world's last hope for peace and she accused me of not caring what happened to anyone else because_ spreading war and violence and hatred is in my blood_."

"Wow. Really laid on the charm, didn't she?"

Zuko sat down on a chunk of rubble, and when he spoke next, his tone was glum. "She was right, though. For a long time, all I cared about was regaining my honor. Nothing else and _nobody_ else mattered to me." He paused for a moment, thinking of his life before he joined the Avatar. "I used to have a ship and a crew, you know. For three years my uncle and the men on that boat were my only companions. You'd think that after living together for so long we would've been really close, but I barely knew them. I mostly just ordered them around and made them spar with me." His tone grew even more gloomy. "I nearly got them all killed in a storm once, all because for a few hours, capturing the Avatar was more important to me than their lives."

Toph didn't give him the typical words of comfort that follow such a confession. They both knew that you couldn't just fall back on the old 'we all make mistakes' when people's lives were involved. He was relieved when she decided to just let it be, and instead asked him, "So what did you do after Katara said that?"

"I got defensive and told her that she didn't know what she was talking about," he admitted.

The earthbender whistled. "You're a brave man, Hot Sauce. Katara _really_ doesn't like it when people tell her that."

"Yeah, I kind of set her off." Zuko's voice became low then, and he said, "That's when she told me that her mother had been killed by the Fire Nation."

"Yeah," Toph said, becoming serious again, "Sokka told me. He said that Katara sort of took over their mom's role after she passed away."

Zuko shifted on top of his rock. "I lost my mother too. She disappeared when I was ten. Until recently, I thought she was dead."

"I'm sorry," Toph said, in a rare display of compassion. "My mom and I don't really see eye to eye, if you know what I mean, but I'd still be really sad if anything happened to her."

"It's fine. It was a long time ago, and at least now I have hope that she's still alive somewhere."

"So did you tell her about your mom?"

"I apologized for what happened to her mother and she apologized for yelling at me." He paused. "Then she made a comment about my face being the face of the enemy, and of course I thought she was referring to my scar, because, I mean, what else was I supposed to think?"

Toph narrowed her eyes. "You didn't freak out or something, did you? If all this drama between you and Katara is because of some stupid misunderstanding, I'm gonna be really disappointed."

Zuko was momentarily taken aback. "No, I didn't 'freak out'," he said indignantly. "I told her that I used to think of my scar as a reminder of my shame and my destiny to capture the Avatar. But while I was in Ba Sing Se, I realized that_ I_ control my destiny, not a stupid three year old injury."

Though it still hadn't stopped him from siding with Azula. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, drawing upon his meditation exercises to regulate his breathing and emotional state. The last thing he needed was for Toph to catch wind of just how upset the issue still made him. Exhaling slowly, Zuko opened his eyes and continued.

"That's when she offered to heal it. She had a phial filled with special healing water from the Spirit Oasis in North Pole, and that it might be strong enough to fix my scar."

He paused, and Toph waited for him to continue.

"I didn't know what to think when she said that. Katara was my enemy and had no reason to want to help me. She was someone I'd hunted and fought and taunted. For the first time since my banishment, I felt _hope_. But at the same time, I was terrified. Part of me expected her to take my hope and rip me to shreds with it."

Zuko wondered why he was telling her this. He was saying things that he'd barely admitted to himself, but he couldn't stop. It was like a dam had broken and the words were just flowing out unchecked.

"But Katara looked truly sincere. It's like helping others is the most natural thing in the world to her, so I took a chance. I closed my eyes and surrendered myself to her." His voice softened, as if he were speaking more to himself. "She's the only person who's ever touched my scar. I've never allowed anyone near it, and most people wouldn't want to touch it anyway, but before she could do anything, Aang arrived with my uncle. Katara ran over to Aang and threw her arms around him, and he shot me this glare over her shoulder, as if I'd done something inexcusable, and at that moment I was angry at him. He had just burst in and stolen my only chance of being healed, and now he was glaring at me when I obviously hadn't done anything."

"What happened then?" Toph prompted.

"Katara left with him and I stayed behind with my uncle. The next time I saw them, they were facing off against my sister. Uncle told me that it was time I look within myself and think about what it was I really wanted. Actually, he had been trying for quite some time to get me to see that I wasn't bound by my father's will. He'd tried to tell me that thinking I could earn father's love by capturing the avatar was naïve. But when push came to shove, and I was put in a position where I had to chose between what was right and what I believed was my destiny..."

"You joined Azula."

Zuko sighed and looked down to escape Toph's uncannily piercing, milky eyes.

"I betrayed my uncle, and I betrayed myself. I thought my decision was the right one – I would finally be able to go home, after so many years – but when I fought Katara, I couldn't suppress these horrible, guilty feelings, telling me I'd done something awful. I had seen the suffering the war brought; the terror with which the other nations viewed us. I knew how it felt to be poor and hungry and homeless. But I was too weak, too desperate for my father's acceptance to let go."

Zuko picked up a piece of gravel and rolled it between his fingers, the repetitive motion offering a small degree of relief to his troubled mind.

"My decision haunted me every day. Even being back in the Fire Nation with my honor restored and father's approval, I wasn't happy. I had a feeling Aang was still alive. Katara would have used her spirit water on him, and I was traitorously relieved by that. Still, if my father found out, I would lose everything. My fear was so great that I sent an assassin to hunt you guys down."

"Combustion Man." Toph supplied.

"Yeah, him." Zuko scratched the back of his head guiltily.

Both benders were silent as Toph digested all that she'd been told.

"So that's it then. That's why Katara's so angry at you. She thinks you betrayed her after the two of you bonded in that cave," Toph concluded.

"I did betray her," Zuko corrected.

"Yes, you did," Toph agreed, "but not for the reasons she thinks. Have you ever considered just telling her? You've apologized over and over, but have you ever actually tried explaining yourself?"

"I don't want her to pity me."

"Look, Sparky, I don't pity you and neither will she. Are you really okay with allowing her to continue to be angry at you for the wrong reasons?"

"Her reasons aren't wrong. I _did_ betray her, and I _did_ help my sister nearly murder Aang."

Toph gave him what could be described as a withering look and sighed dramatically. "I'm seriously beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here."

oO0Oo

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><p>AN

Remember when Sokka was like "u sent combustion man after us!1one" and then Zuko was like, "Well, that's not his name..." I asked Zuko. His name is Derek.

That being said, congratulations to you, who have made it to the end of chapter One!

This story started as a simple humorous dialogue between Sokka and Zuko that I wrote on a whim half a year ago, but recently I decided to expand it into a proper story. I don't know yet how many chapters there will be, but it will certainly be much longer than my older poopy stories.

I love the Avatar-verse and all of its wonderful characters. This show just tickles me in so many ways, and I've read tons of wonderful stories and seen so much amazing artwork. The avatar fandom is large and a bit cultish, but full of interesting people and ideas. It is my hope that The Confrontational Approach provides some entertainment/drama to spice up a boring day.

See you in chapter two!

**Edit: I'll be revising the next few chapters as well in the near future. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to live with the vastly inferior original versions, as I have chapter 16 to be working on at the moment. **

**XOXO**

**-Advocaat**


	2. A Father's Intuition

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Pairing: Zutara

Chapter Two

A Father's Intuition

Katara was distracted. Everyone had finished their lunch and gone off to train or find other ways to amuse themselves, leaving Katara alone with the dishes, and currently she was knelt beside a large wooden washtub trying–and failing–to focus on the task at hand. Why couldn't that guy just leave her well enough alone? It was bad enough that he had her constantly worried for her friends' safety, and his constant peace offerings were driving her up a wall. She might just crack under the pressure of his Tui-damned _niceness_! His behavior was disgusting! He was just so confusing. She knew what he was capable of, had seen his twisted character with her own eyes, and yet the Zuko she'd observed in the past couple weeks was a completely different person from the Zuko who'd chased them across the world and betrayed her in Ba Sing Se. To be perfectly honest, she didn't know how to deal with it.

"I noticed you didn't lash out at Zuko earlier."

Katara almost dropped a dish. She had assumed everyone had left after eating, but apparently Suki had stayed and Katara had been too distracted to notice. Suki settled herself near where Katara sat bending water over the dirty bowls.

"You usually try to bite his head off when he gets 'too close'. I'm glad that you've begun to forgive him."

Katara sighed. "I haven't forgiven him."

Suki quirked a brow. "Oh?"

"I'm just tired of being angry all the time. I hate the person I become when he's around."

Shortly after her father and Suki joined them, Katara found herself confiding in the pretty warrior. Suki was a strong and confident woman, and Katara was glad that her brother had found happiness with her. She was also happy to have a girl around her age in the group. Katara and Toph had their sisterly moments, but the earthbender preferred to act like one of the guys and wasn't big deep, meaningful conversations. Suki, on the other hand, was funny (when she didn't try too hard), thoughtful, and intuitive, and Katara enjoyed talking to her and hearing her opinions.

Suki felt similarly about Katara, and she knew that the younger girl was upset and confused. Talking with Katara had helped her piece together a pretty good idea of what was going on between her and Zuko, and the warrior tried to use what she knew to help her friend sort out her feelings concerning the traitorous prince. Personally, she didn't mind Zuko. Yes, he had attacked her village, and that had left her with a pretty poor impression of him, but she now considered that water under the bridge, since he had helped Sokka rescue her from the Boiling Rock. From what she could tell having spent some time around him, he actually seemed like a pretty good guy and she was saddened that Katara couldn't see it, or more accurately, _refused_ to see it.

When Suki had first gotten to know the waterbender, she'd learned right away that Katara _lived_ to help others and always looked for the good in people. It's in her nature to be trusting and supportive, and making others happy is what makes her happy. Looking at her now though, Suki could tell that Katara was **not** happy. She was making herself miserable trying to make Zuko miserable.

Suki decided then and there that she was done watching her friend suffer like this. It was high time the waterbender was honest with herself, and the redhead was determined to help her see that.

"What do you hope to gain from this, Katara?"

The fourteen year old looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Your refusal to accept Zuko. What are you hoping will come of it?"

Katara turned back to the basin and picked up another dish. "I hope he'll leave and never show his face again."

"No you don't. If he left right now, you'd regret it for the rest of your life."

The waterbender bristled. "Oh? And just what makes you think that?"

By Katara's sudden coldness, Suki knew she'd hit a nerve, and that was all the confirmation she needed that she was on the right track. However, Katara's next words surprised her, in content and severity.

"Prince Zuko is a back-stabbing cretin, his bloodline is a scourge on this world!" She'd dropped the dish back in the tub, and her hands were balled into tight fists. "Nobody would miss him! Not a single person cares about him, least of all me!"

Suki frowned sadly as her friend picked up another dish and stubbornly resumed washing. "You care, Katara. If you didn't, it wouldn't have hurt so much when he betrayed you."

"Opening up to him was a mistake I'll never repeat," Katara declared, scowling down at the half-washed clay bowl in her hands.

"He cares about you too."

Katara visibly stiffened.

Silence stretched between them, and Suki began to wonder if she'd said the wrong thing and now her friend was going to shut her out. She was almost relieved when she heard Katara sigh frustratedly.

Turning her head in a way that made it hard for Suki to see her face, the bender spoke, her tone eerily calm and unaffected; flat.

"If Zuko has the capacity to care for anyone other than himself, and he's nearly convinced me that he does not, it wouldn't be me. Maybe his mother, maybe his uncle, hell, maybe even his father, I don't know, but I can't think of a single reason why he should care about _any of us_."

"Do you need a reason to care about someone?"

"People usually have one."

"Then how about this." Suki placed a hand on Katara's shoulder, causing the younger girl to turn her head back around and meet her gaze. "I care about you, Katara. Do you know why?"

Katara thought for a second, then answered, "Because we're friends?"

Suki smiled slightly. "Wouldn't you say that the reason a person becomes friends with someone is because they care enough about that person to _want_ to be friends with them?"

"I guess that's true," Katara responded.

Suki's smile widened. "The reason I care about you is because you're friendly and strong and fun to be around. You're responsible and hard-working, and I admire your spirit and determination. Put simply, I like you." Her affectionate expression took on a more serious quality as she uttered her next words. "And so does Zuko."

Katara snorted. "I already told you, Zuko only cares about himself. Besides, I've done nothing but throw water at him and foil his attempts at catching Aang, and all I've done since he joined us is reject, threaten, and be generally nasty to him. I don't think I can be any more _un_likeable!"

"And yet, he still tries to earn your forgiveness," Suki pointed out.

"That's one of the most suspicious things about him!" Katara retaliated. "He can't possibly _want_ to be my friend after everything I've done to him, so the only explanation is that he's trying to win me over for some other reason. Everyone else has begun to accept and even trust him, and now he probably thinks that I'm the only obstacle left. He just has to convince me, and then he'll have us all in the palm of his hand. He will finally be able to fulfill his dream of delivering the Avatar to his father. How can any of you believe that Zuko would suddenly just turn his back on his country and family–his _home–_and join us, the people he's hunted and fought against so single-mindedly for half a year? It's too suspicious!"

"But you expected him to do just that in Ba Sing Se," Suki spoke softly.

Katara's face crumpled. "I trusted him," she whispered miserably. "I'm a hopeless fool."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Zuko wandered the halls of the upside-down temple in an effort to clear his head, sword practice completely forgotten. He wanted Katara to forgive him, and despite what he'd told Toph, he <em>did<em> want her to understand. The problem was that he didn't think she would listen, and even if she did, knowing why he did what he did wouldn't change the fact that he'd done it. If he wanted her forgiveness, he would have to earn it.

He paused in front of an arched doorway he couldn't recall having seen before. Cautiously, he pushed on the aged wood and the door swung inward, revealing a large chamber filled with rows upon rows of ridiculously tall stone shelves, most of which's contents had clearly been burned, except for the topmost shelves, which were lined with extremely old looking scrolls which had probably been saved due to their height. Zuko doubted that the military's firebenders were powerful enough to reach them. This room was obviously a library, and Zuko felt a tug of regret for all of the knowledge lost during the genocide. People, history... his nation really did destroy everything.

He wove his way among the colossal bookshelves, just taking in the solemn atmosphere. As he passed, he ran a hand lightly along the top of a shelf, disturbing a century's buildup of dust. If they won the war, if they defeated his father, he would hold the authority to have all of the scrolls that survived copied and and their knowledge preserved. It was the least he could do to pay his respects to a dead nation.

"Prince Zuko."

Zuko started, and quicker than Azula's lightning, he whirled around, dropping into a bending stance.

"Easy, boy. It's just me."

Zuko straightened when he recognized the person standing calmly in front of him.

"Chief Hakoda," he greeted the older warrior, inclining his head slightly in respect.

The chief of the Southern Water Tribe smiled. "Hakoda is fine."

Zuko was surprised at the warmth in Hakoda's voice, and nodded slowly.

"Is something on your mind? You never struck me as the type to startle easily."

"Ah, um..." Zuko had never really talked to the older man, and he wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Civilized interaction between the Fire Nation and the other nations had been cut off for so long that he didn't have much knowledge of the appropriate protocol for interacting with foreign leaders. During his banishment, before he'd become a refugee, he greeted other peoples with the haughty arrogance of a conquerer. After the siege of the Northern Water Tribe, he'd cast his title aside and lived among the commoners, so political grace wasn't a factor. Now, though, he stood before the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, who knew him only as Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and he was at a complete loss as to what he should do. Would Hakoda look down on him for his ignorance? His first instinct had been to treat him with the level of respect he would use with an honored general, but Hakoda had thrown him off by speaking so informally.

Hakoda must have sensed his dilemma, because he chuckled and said, "Just speak the way you would with anyone else, Prince Zuko. There's no need to be formal with me."

Zuko was still hesitant, but also a bit relieved. "Please call me Zuko as well. I'm hardly a prince anymore."

Hakoda seemed surprised at this. "Zuko it is, then. Although from what I've seen of you, you deserve your title far more than your father deserves his."

Zuko's lips turned up at the edges, but Hakoda sensed little happiness from the boy.

"I am honored you think that of me, but I've made far too many mistakes to live up to your praise. Your daughter can attest to that." The last statement was muttered softly, but Hakoda didn't miss the hint of sadness in the teenager's voice. He filed that observation away in his head.

"I have to admit, you're more humble than I expected."

"I wasn't always, but living as a starving refugee is a very humbling experience. My uncle spent the better part of the past three years trying to get me see reason." Words were coming more easily now, as Zuko became more comfortable with the older warrior.

"Your uncle... General Iroh?"

Zuko was surprised that Hakoda knew of him. Did his uncle's reputation extend all the way to the Southern Water Tribe? "Yes. He's been with me since my banishment."

During his travels, Hakoda had learned that the prince of the Fire Nation had been banished and was wandering the globe, but he never learned why. After the fall of Ba Sing Se, news reached him that Fire Lord Ozai had welcomed his son back as the hero who finally killed the Avatar. Imagine Hakoda's surprise when he learned that the person who helped his son free him from prison and was now teaching the Avatar firebending was none other than the Fire Prince himself. There was a story there, and he wanted to hear all of it, but it seemed that neither his children nor their friends knew very much about the boy. "If I may be so bold as to ask, why were you banished? You seem like a good kid."

Zuko looked conflicted for a moment, like he was trying to decide if he should tell the other man. Hakoda knew the memory must be painful, and if the kid didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't push the matter.

"I spoke out of line during a war meeting," Zuko decided to answer him. "I don't know how it is in the Water Tribes, but in the Fire Nation questioning the Fire Lord is not tolerated, crown prince or not."

"You spoke out against your father?"

"One of his generals, actually. But by questioning his general, I'd indirectly questioned my father."

"And so he banished you?"

"Yes. I was thirteen."

"At such an age!" Hakoda was disgusted. "His own son!"

"My father... Ozai is not like you. He doesn't love his children. He's only interested in you if you're useful to him." Zuko looked away, unable to take Hakoda's shocked face. "My sister is a firebending prodigy. She is cruel and manipulative and highly intelligent; everything my father values in his own. Me, on the other hand… I struggled with bending and was clumsy and naïve. I was his shame. He must have been glad to finally be rid of me."

Hakoda wore an expression of such utter outrage that Zuko wondered if he should say something to mollify the older man.

"A parent's love should never be conditional. As a father, I can't forgive Ozai's treatment of you. It is appalling and disturbing to me that men like him are allowed to sire children. I am deeply sorry for what you have had to go through."

"Ah, no, um- I mean, It's okay, you don't need to apologize for him." Zuko was flustered at the other man's display of concern. "I've already come to terms with it anyway, so it's really not a big deal..." he tried to explain.

Hakoda laid his right hand on the prince's shoulder. "Zuko, don't ever brush your feelings aside like they're worth so little." He stared the boy straight in both eyes, expression stern. "Suppression isn't healthy, and neither is letting your feelings accumulate and fester. You'll either become numb or drive yourself mad." His countenance softened and he squeezed Zuko's shoulder gently, but didn't break eye contact. "There are people who love you, and you're hurting them as well as yourself when you lock your feelings away."

Zuko was still for a long moment, his gaze still held by Hakoda's, as he waited for his thoughts to catch up. And catch up they certainly did. Unbidden, Zuko felt the area behind his eyes burn, and all at once his brain was assaulted by a multitude of thoughts and feelings, but the chaos was too great for him to properly identify any of them. He felt ridiculous, getting worked up over so little. But somewhere, deep inside, Hakoda's words had struck a chord.

How had this man known what he'd been doing? How had he unraveled his feelings so easily? It's not like his uncle hadn't spoken similar words in the past. But Iroh was family. It was expected that he impart is wisdom unto his nephew. Hakoda, however, had no such obligation, and Zuko supposed it took an outsider to finally drive those words home. The teenager forced back the sudden rush of emotion. He refused to succumb to weakness in front of Katara and Sokka's father. This man had treated him with more kindness than he had ever received bar his mother and uncle, and he refused to shame himself or Hakoda by crying here.

"Crying when you're hurting is never shameful," Hakoda said gently.

Those words undid him. He bowed his head as salty water leaked from both eyes. Hakoda just lifted his left arm to rest on the firebender's other shoulder. Zuko choked out a small chuckle through his tears. "How is it that you know everything I'm thinking? Am I that easy to read?"

Hakoda smiled, though Zuko's head was still bowed and he didn't see it. "I'm a father. We know these things."

…

…

…

…

…

Somewhere high above them, unnoticed by the two men, a person watched.

…

…

…

…

…

And waited.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>You've reached the end of chapter two!<p>

Thank you to everyone who read chapter one, and double thanks to my reviewers. I love to hear what you have to say.

This chapter was a lot more serious but it needed to be done. There is a lot of bad juju wrapped up in this series that needs is never properly addressed.

In the first part we learned a bit about Katara's feelings towards our favorite broody teenager. In the series, Katara was always pretty forgiving and understanding, so I think a lot of us were thrown for a loop when she confronted Zuko the evening after he joined the gaang. She stands calmly in his doorway and waits for him to notice her, then, once she has his full attention, she gets right up in his space and promises to end his life if he puts a single toe out of line! Moreover, there is no hesitance in her voice or body language when she does this, and she looks him directly in the eye the whole time. That's a pretty freak'n serious threat for a children's show. Katara's feelings for Zuko, bad or good, are are nothing to sneeze at.

I really wished that there could have been more interaction between Zuko and Hakoda in the show. If I were Hakoda and I learned that my children were fighting along side the prince of the nation that had murdered a whole race of people and caused misery and destruction for **a hundred years** I would at least feel inclined to **talk to the guy! **I mean _really_!

I think that getting to know a real father, such as Hakoda, would be important for Zuko. He needs to see that fathers are so much more than Ozai was for him. I also believe that Hakoda would be deeply disturbed by Ozai's treatment of his children, and his own fatherly instincts would kick in when talking to Zuko.

The next chapter will expand the issue of Katara's distrust and mistakes will be made.

See you then!


	3. Crime and Punishment

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Three

Crime and Punishment

After talking with Suki, Katara retreated to her room where she could sort out her thoughts and not have to deal with the others. What Suki had said about Zuko was ridiculous and and impossible, and when the others had tried to convince Katara of Zuko's reformation she'd been able to brush their arguments aside without batting an eyelash, so why couldn't she now? Katara knew the answer. Aang and Sokka and Toph didn't know Zuko the way she did, they didn't understand how personal his betrayal had felt, and no amount of convincing on their part would change that, but as ridiculous and impossible as Suki's assessment of Zuko had sounded, she had been right about Katara's own feelings, and because of that, the waterbender simply couldn't rid herself of the uninvited and completely crazy idea that maybe the redheaded warrior had been right about Zuko as well.

After over an hour of circular reasoning and mental cursing of both her brother's girlfriend and the firebending bane of her existence, Katara was still no closer to inner peace. Oddly, the more she struggled with her doubt, the more she found herself wanting to talk to her dad. Her father had spent the past two years fighting Fire Nations soldiers. They had taken his wife from him and forced him to leave his family. Surely he would share her suspicions about the Fire Prince.

Knowing her father must have returned from hunting by now, Katara left her room to search for him. She started with the common room, since that was where everyone spent the most time. Her dad wasn't there, but Teo was, and he told her that Hakoda had headed to the library deep in the northern wing of the temple to see if any scrolls on engineering had survived the raid. Katara thanked him and went on her way, passing Haru as he walked in, arms full of scrapped materials to be used for La knew what. Had she been paying attention, she would have heard when Haru stopped next to Teo and said, "Didn't Zuko go that way earlier?"

But, because she wasn't, she also missed the comically frightened expression they shared.

This part of the temple was foreign to Katara. She hadn't had a lot of free time to explore, what with preparing meals, practicing her bending, teaching Aang, and going over battle plans with the group. Speaking of teaching Aang, she had to admit that bending with her goofy pupil wasn't what it once was. He was already proficient enough with waterbending, so their sessions took a backseat to earthbending and firebending. She missed practicing with him every day and feeling like she was really contributing to the war effort. Now, though, not only did they rarely bend together, she couldn't get Aang to spar with her seriously. She guessed he was afraid of hurting her or some nonsense, although where he got that notion, she wasn't sure. Really now, she wasn't fragile!

Without someone to fight, she worried that her skills would deteriorate. She could do drills and forms until the turtle-seals came home, but drills were no substitute for actual combat practice. She entertained the idea of asking someone else to be her opponent, but her options were less than stellar. Sokka and Suki were nonbenders, and while they were great warriors, that wasn't the kind of practice she needed. Fighting Toph usually just made her muddy and grumpy, and Haru was far too timid. She supposed she could ask Chit Sang; her enemies were mostly firebenders so it would be beneficial to practice with one, but he seemed to have an honor thing about hitting girls (and grammar, as she'd come to learn). Boo firebenders and their stupid honor! At least Zuko didn't let gender influence how he fought. Well, he didn't pull his punches with her at least. She couldn't be sure about his treatment of other girls. Katara realized with disappointment that Zuko was probably the only bender here who would both agree to fight her and give her a good match, but she wasn't about to ask that _traitor_ for a favor.

Katara found herself at the foot of a long flight of old stone steps. She could either continue down the same hallway she'd been walking along for who knows how long, or she could take the stairs and see where they put her. Feeling adventurous, Katara chose the stairs.

At the top was another another hallway, and though Katara was a bit put out by this, she started down it. As she walked, she amused herself by counting the various cloth covered doorways that lined the wall to her left. She had walked a good ways by this point, and nothing around her looked the slightest bit familiar anymore. She wondered if she should just give up and wait for her father in the common area, but then she turned a corner and was surprised to see that the hallway beyond had only one wall, and where the other wall should have been was some manner of large, indoor balcony lined by a stretch of beautifully carved stone railing, just past which was an enormous chamber filled with rows and rows of what looked like ridiculously tall stone shelves. She hurried across the lofted floor to peer over the railing, sure that she had at last found the library.

Right as she touched the smooth stone, her ears picked up the unmistakable sound of conversation from somewhere below. She was too far away to pick out any words–surprisingly, the massive chamber seemed to dampen the sound rather than boost it, although since this was supposed to be a library that was probably intentional–but she was sure that her father was down there. Someone else must have found him before her. She leaned excitedly out over the rail and scanned the spaces between the shelves, ready to call out to her father as soon as she spotted him, but her greeting died in her throat when she saw his companion.

_What is _he_ doing here?_

Zuko stood before her dad, the two of them situated in front of a row of massive shelves. Why was her father talking to _him_? No, why was Zuko talking to her father? What was he up to?

The firebender had a strange look on his face as he said something she couldn't make out to her dad. Katara uncorked her water skin and froze her bending water into a make-shift ear trumpet, a trick she'd invented while snooping for information from wayward groups of Fire Nation Soldiers between towns. She brought it to her ear in time to hear her father's next words.

"I have to admit, you're more humble than I expected."

She was shocked. _Humble? Zuko? What part of him? _

"I wasn't always, but living as a starving refugee is a very humbling experience. My uncle spent the better part of the past three years trying to get me see reason."

_And look what that got him. _Katara thought spitefully. _Betrayed and left to rot in prison! _

Katara didn't actually know what had become of Zuko's uncle after she fled the caves with Aang, but she actually hoped he was just sent to a prison somewhere, and not beaten or... executed. She didn't really know the man, not even his name, but he had helped her and she was grateful to him.

"Your uncle... General Iroh?"

Iroh_. _That answered one question about the man. And apparently he is, or was, a general.

She was hit by a sudden thought. Wouldn't being Zuko's uncle make him the older brother of the Fire Lord? In that case, shouldn't he be Fire Lord, not Ozai? Maybe he was Zuko's uncle on his mother's side.

"Yes. He's been with me since my banishment," was Zuko's reply.

There was a long moment where her dad looked like he wanted to say something–Katara could tell from his body language. He often looked that way around her and Sokka these days. He probably had a lot of questions for them since he had been away from his family for so long, but Katara thought he probably didn't know how to ask. Especially after she'd blown up at him on that ship. She was proven correct when Hakoda spoke again.

"If I may be so bold, why were you banished? You seem like a good kid."

A good kid.

Her dad thought Zuko was a _good kid._

This was _all wrong_! He was supposed to agree with her about Zuko's evilness! Not be won over by the jerk! Was she really and truly the _only one_ who saw Zuko for what he really was? Katara wanted to scream in frustration, but she was also insanely curious to hear Zuko's answer. Why _had_ he been banished? He'd never told them. She held her breath in anticipation.

"I spoke out of line in a war meeting. I don't know how it is in the Water Tribes, but in the Fire Nation questioning the Fire Lord is not tolerated, crown prince or not."

Katara waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. _That's it?_ She wanted to jump over the rail and throttle him and demand he tell her what in Yue's name he'd said to get himself banished. Ozai was a monster, but still, Zuko must have said something _really bad_ to be banished, right?

"You spoke out against your father?"

Her dad seemed surprised, but whether that surprise was at Zuko giving the Fire Lord lip or at being banished for it was unclear.

"One of his generals, actually. But by questioning his general, I'd indirectly questioned my father."

"And so he banished you?"

"Yes. I was thirteen."

It must not have occurred to her father that Zuko would have been so young at the time. Even from a distance, Katara could clearly read the disgust on his face. Katara didn't like Zuko, but even she was outraged at Ozai's treatment of him.

"At such an age! His own son!"

Katara expected Zuko to show his true colors right then and there and incinerate her dad for daring to question the Fire Lord. Her father was an excellent warrior, but Zuko was a talented firebender, and for a horrible moment, she felt truly scared that her dad would be taken from her just like her mom.

She was infinitely relieved when Zuko showed no sign of aggression, and once she calmed down enough to think properly, she noticed with confusion that Zuko didn't seem the slightest bit irked by her dad's reaction. He actually looked, dare she think it, _sad_.

Despite her resolve to never feel sorry for Zuko again, his next words nearly cracked her.

"My father... Ozai is not like you. He doesn't love his children. He's only interested if you're useful to him."

She watched him look away from her dad, and her traitorous heart went out to him.

"My sister is a firebending prodigy. She is cruel and manipulative and highly intelligent; everything my father values in his own. I on the other hand… I struggled with bending and was clumsy and naïve. Azula was his pride, but I was his shame. He must have been glad to finally be rid of me."

It was Zuko's comment about his bending that caused Katara to realize that he was _lying through his teeth_.

She seethed._ Struggled with bending, my ass! His bending is amazing! And what's that bit about being clumsy?_

Katara had watched Zuko carefully since he joined their group, including his training, and that boy was nothing if not graceful. He moved through his forms like a leopard-tiger. He jumped and flipped with the practiced ease of an acrobat. And, although she was likely the only one who'd noticed this about him, he had the ability to move as swiftly and silently as a panther-shark. Katara found it unnerving that someone with such a hot head and natural tendency to stomp around in anger could be so stealthy, but if Zuko didn't want to be heard, he wouldn't be.

Behind her outrage Katara felt smug. Zuko had just revealed to her what a dirty liar he was, and he didn't even know it! Bad at bending? No. Clumsy? Not in the slightest. Naïve? Only if he thought she would _ever_ buy his transformation. She had been right all along, and now she had proof! Zuko was a liar and a traitor and why wasn't she as happy about this as she should be?

Regardless, she had heard enough to never trust him again. Zuko could fool her friends and apparently even her father, but he wouldn't fool her.

"A parent's love should never be conditional. As a father, I can't forgive Ozai's treatment of you. It is appalling and disturbing to me to think that men like him are allowed to sire children. I am deeply sorry for what you have had to go through."

Katara snorted._ Don't be. He's not._

"Ah, no, um- I mean, It's okay, you don't need to apologize for him." Zuko looked flustered, but now that she knew it was all just an act, the display only disgusted her. "I've already come to terms with it anyway, so it's really not a big deal..."

She watched her father put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and say, "Zuko, don't ever brush your feelings aside like they're worth so little."

_He doesn't. He reserves that effort for other people's feelings._

"Suppression isn't healthy, and neither is bottling everything up inside. You'll either become numb or drive yourself mad. There are people who love you, and you're hurting them them as well as yourself when you lock your feelings away."

_He's already betrayed everyone who loved him. Bet you regret that now, don't you Zuko? Oh wait, that would require giving a damn about someone other than yourself. My mistake._

"Crying when you're hurting is never shameful."

Katara couldn't listen to this anymore. She refused to hear her dad be played for a fool. She bent her ear trumpet back into her water skin and just watched, waiting for one of them to leave so that she could catch Zuko alone. She'd show him who the fool was.

She saw Zuko bow his head, his hair hiding his face from her, and her dad held both his shoulders in a needlessly comforting gesture. Katara resisted the urge to gag.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Without raising his head, Zuko drew one last shuddering breath and then nodded to the other man. Hakoda drew back and gave Zuko a moment to collect himself before speaking again.<p>

"About Katara," he began. He was amused at how instantaneously he received the boy's attention just by saying his daughter's name. "From what I've been told, it sounds like she has some misconceptions about you. But Zuko," he watched the firebender carefully, "I've watched my daughter nearly her whole life, and I truly think that Katara wants a reason to believe in you."

Zuko looked at him and blinked once.

Then the boy gave him a look that was so ridiculously hopeful that the chief of the Southern Water Tribe wondered if he hadn't mistakenly told the boy he'd won a billion gold pieces and that his father loved him. He hoped for Zuko's sake that Katara came around soon.

Wasn't Hakoda's duty as a father to make sure his daughter wasn't hurt by boys, not the other way around? He chuckled inwardly. That girl was her mother's daughter, through and through.

"Explain yourself to her. She won't pity you," he told the younger man with confidence.

Zuko nodded. "I'll try."

Hakoda grinned, then glanced around the chamber. "Now that that's settled, have you seen any scrolls on engineering?"

Zuko felt himself smile as well. He felt lighter somehow, like talking with the Water Tribe warrior removed an invisible weight from his chest. "Couldn't tell you. Everything's too high up to identify."

"Hm... That is a problem, isn't it. I guess I'll go see about crafting a ladder then. It's not like these old scrolls are going anywhere."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I'll get Sokka if I need anything. That boy is far too lazy." Hakoda made an affectionately disapproving face. "But thanks for offering."

Zuko nodded. "Sure, and thank you for the advice."

"It's what I'm here for. I'm glad you actually appreciate it, unlike Sokka and Katara." Hakoda started to leave, but stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Just so you know, if you ever just want to talk, I'll listen. Hell, I'll even throw in more advice, so don't be shy."

Zuko gave him a formal Fire Nation bow. "Thank you, Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, for your generous offer."

Hakoda nodded respectfully. "I am honored to assist you, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

The two shared a final smile, and Hakoda left.

Zuko glanced around him and saw a good sized basin filled with water situated against a wall. Perfect, he could use the water to wash his face, which he had no doubt could use a bit of a scrub after his break down. Since the basin was still full after a hundred years, he imagined it must be fed by pipes or a nearby source of ground water. He didn't know why the Air Nomads would need a water source in their library, but he wasn't about to question it. Maybe they used it in their ink or something.

As he splashed water on his face, Zuko thought about Hakoda's reaction to Ozai's parenting. If he only knew how Zuko had got his scar... Hakoda would probably march right into his father's throne room and punch him in the face. Zuko couldn't help but smile at the mental image. "Chief Hakoda, he's as good as they come."

"Yes, he is."

Zuko barely had time to be surprised before he was slammed against the basin by two skins' worth of water and fell gracelessly to the floor, but he quickly gathered his bearings rolled to the side just as another wave of water, this time from the basin, collided with spot of floor he had just inhabited.

"Katara? What are you doing?!" He dodged a third jet of water and sent a warning blast of orange flame back at the enraged waterbender who easily extinguished it. He'd wanted her to acknowledge him, but this wasn't what he had in mind.

"You slipped up, Zuko." She pulled all of the spilt water from the tiles and sent it crashing over him. As he spluttered, she quickly froze the water, trapping him the way she had so many months ago in the spirit oasis.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko's teeth were clenched hard. Unlike the time at the north pole, Zuko was wearing much lighter clothing, and ice was freaking _cold_.

"Don't play dumb with me, you lying slime!"

Zuko breathed deeply and heated the air around himself, melting the ice enough to break free. Katara was expecting this, however, and had a water whip ready for him. He bended a whip of his own and their elements clashed and sizzled between them. Zuko was reminded of their fight under Ba Sing Se, and if the severity of Katara's scowl was any indication, she was too.

"Look, can't we just talk about this?" he called, trying to reason with her. He honestly couldn't think of anything that he'd done to provoke her. Both Water Tribe siblings were off their rocker today!

"Letting you talk was my first mistake!"

Katara abandoned her whip and instead crafted several alarmingly sharp looking ice shards, which she promptly sent flying straight at him. It was a good thing all of the scrolls were up so high. That height was saving them once again.

Zuko launched off a shelf and twisted in the air to watch the shards shatter against the stone. He landed gracefully in a crouch, only to be met with another barrage of stabby death. Whatever he'd done this time had been enough to make Katara absolutely livid. She obviously wasn't keen on relenting, so he'd just have to subdue her.

Decision made, Zuko ducked between two rows of shelves and then leapt up, launching himself between them until he reached the top. He looked down, spotting Katara as she rushed from row to row, searching for him, and he ran along the tops of the shelves, trying to get above her. Her confusion at losing track of him made it easy for him to position himself, and he dropped back down, intending to catch her by surprise. Unfortunately, she looked up just in time to catch his descent and plucked him out of the air with her water, throwing him roughly against a wall. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he fell the remaining twenty-some feet to the ground, landing hard on a dislodged stone. He hoped he only imagined the sound of a rib cracking, although if the excruciating pain in his abdomen was any indication, it wasn't his imagination, and it wasn't just one.

He saw Katara approaching, and he struggled to his feet, ribs be damned. He needed to think of a way to take her down quickly. Exploiting the enemy's weaknesses was a basic teaching of any martial art, and bending was no different. Firebenders relied on strong stances and breathing, both of which could be used against them. But what about waterbenders? He thought about Katara's techniques; water whips; pentapus and octopus forms; ice daggers; and it hit him, Waterbenders relied heavily on their arms to bend. If he could immobilize her arms, he would win.

Zuko quickly came up with a plan and waited for the seething girl to come within range, hoping he could pull this off. It wasn't a great plan, and he certainly wasn't going to be winning any awards for it, but he needed to take her down quickly and this was his best bet.

"That was a pretty nasty looking fall," she called, her voice full of false concern. She continued to walk closer, whips swaying menacingly on each arm. "You done already?"

Zuko didn't answer. He sunk into a defensive stance for show as he continued to wait. His chest burned, and for some reason it was becoming harder to breathe. _Just a little closer... come on, Katara._

The moment she stepped within range, Zuko wasted no time bending a rope of fire at her. Just as he'd hoped, she countered it with one of her water whips, and the two crashed and hissed, filling the air with steam. He used its cover to spring forward, and both benders collided and were sent to the floor. Zuko quickly grabbed Katara's wrists and straddled her hips, chest heaving. Agni, he was in so much pain, he thought he might vomit. Why was it so hard to breathe? Katara struggled beneath him, but he held fast. Realizing resistance was futile, she glared up at him.

"A stalemate, huh?"

Zuko gasped for air. "Not quite."

"What do you mean? Neither of us can bend like this." She looked confused, but also a bit worried.

"You're forgetting something important." Zuko released a small burst of fire from his mouth, carefully controlling the size so that he didn't hurt her.

Katara looked alarmed for a fraction of a second, but then her face screwed up in determination.

"Do it."

Zuko blinked, taken aback. This girl... was so unbelievably stubborn.

Just like him. Maybe they were made for each other.

"Well? What are you waiting for? If you think I'll help you capture Aang, you're sorely mistaken. You might as well just end me now."

Zuko fought for oxygen, his vision beginning to swim.

"I don't want to hurt you, Katara." He stared into her eyes, trying to get her to just _believe him_ already, but focusing was proving difficult right now. "I'm not trying to-" he turned his head and coughed harshly, "-to capture Aang. And I've never once lied to you."

It felt like his lungs were filled with water. Dark spots crowded his vision and he coughed again, this time feeling something warm and wet drip down his chin.

"Hey, Zuko, are you okay?" Her eyes widened. "Is that blood? Zuko! You're coughing up blood!"

Katara's voice sounded far away.

"Look, you win! Okay? I give up! Just let go of me so I can help you!"

Zuko stared her in the eye again, as if appraising her sincerity. Either he was satisfied by what he saw or he just ran out of strength, Katara couldn't tell, but Zuko released her wrists and fell forward, his head landing on her collarbone. "Soft..."

Katara rolled him off and onto his back and and quickly tore his tunic open. She was alarmed to see an enormous, dark bruise forming under his left pectoral. She sheathed her hand in water and gently felt the area. Zuko groaned in pain.

"Zuko, two of your ribs are broken."

He looked at her, and she was further alarmed to find his eyes so unfocused.

"S'okay, didn't need those anyway."

He _would_ pick a time like this to develop a sense of humor. Judging from the blood on his chin, Katara had an awful feeling one of his broken ribs had punctured a lung. She took a deep breath listened to the blood being pumped through his body. She was right, a good deal of it had built up in his left lung.

"I'm going to try to heal you, okay Zuko? It's going to hurt." She warned him gently.

"Mm," was his response.

She started with his ribs. There was no use working on his lung until the source of the problem was fixed. She pressed down slightly, and Zuko's right eye widened and he opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Katara apologized again and again. She had never seen him like this, and it scared her, but she pushed on, straightening the bones and helping them reattach. Once she was satisfied with his ribs, she moved on to his lung. This was the more serious injury, but luckily it was the easiest to heal. She closed the hole and checked for any other injuries. Her quick healing job wasn't perfect, but he seemed less pained. However, the most dire issue still needed to be dealt with.

She slipped her fingers behind his head and lifted it so that he was looking at her. "Zuko, I need you to help me get the blood out of your lungs."

He nodded weakly, trying to save his breath.

"We need to get you over to the basin. Do you think you can stand?" She doubted she could lift him by herself, and she didn't know what she would do if it turned out he couldn't move himself.

Thankfully, he nodded again. She gave him a relieved smile and moved her hand to support his upper back. She held out her other hand to him and he took it, then she braced her legs and with a grunt, helped pull him to his feet. He wobbled alarmingly, but managed to find his balance. Katara smiled encouragingly and helped walk him to the basin. She sat him on the rim and pressed gently on his back so he was leaning forward.

"Just relax." She rubbed his back soothingly. It was clear that breathing was still incredibly difficult for him, but he was handling it well. Almost too well, really. Not being able to breathe was terrifying. If she were in his position, she would probably freak out and just make things worse for herself.

"Breathe in slowly through your nose and and out through your mouth."

He complied, and she let him just sit and breathe for a few moments before instructing him again.

Zuko's vision slowly began to come back into focus and he felt the fog in his head clearing.

Katara was glad to see his awareness returning. "Fold your arms over your stomach."

"Like this?" He laid both arms across his belly.

"A little lower... There. I'm going to have you cough three times, and I want you to pull up against your stomach with each one."

Zuko scrunched up his face, likely not keen on putting pressure anywhere near his ribs at the moment, but he nodded.

"Keep leaning over. Good. Now inhale slowly through your nose again." She watched his chest expand. "Okay, now exhale through your mouth and cough."

He coughed three times, pushing against his belly as she instructed. He could feel the fluid in his lungs being forced up.

"One more time. In through your nose– slowly! Now cough!"

It was harder this time with fluid obstructing his airway, but somehow he managed. On the second cough he tasted blood, and on the third his mouth opened wider and dark liquid splashed onto the tile by his feet. He continued to cough and more blood was expelled. No wonder he couldn't breathe! He must have been literally drowning in his own blood. His coughing became dry again and he gulped down lungfuls of glorious oxygen between pants. Once he felt calm enough, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and looked up at Katara with the intention of thanking her, but he stopped short when he saw the look she was giving him.

Katara's face was scrunched up in pure rage. "You idiot! You complete and utter moron! What were you thinking, ignoring an injury like that?" She glared down at him with all the fury of the raging sea. "Do you have any idea how _scared_ I was just now? You almost **died**!"

Now that Zuko was thinking properly again, Katara's behavior had him confused. "Wasn't that the goal?"

"The goal was to scare you and rough you up a bit, not **kill** you! I'm not a monster!" Katara ran a hand over her face. "Tui, I was so worried when you took that fall! But then you got back up and I thought you were alright!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize when I'm the one who nearly killed you!" Katara shouted before clenching her hands into fists by her side and shifting her gaze to her feet.

They were both silent for a while, allowing what just happened to wash over them. When Katara felt that she'd regained enough of her composure, she spoke again.

"Thank you."

Zuko's good eye widened. "For what?"

"For not killing me back there. You could've, and I don't understand why you didn't." she turned away in shame,"But I appreciate it. I really didn't want to die."

Zuko frowned. "I never had, and never will have, any intention to kill you. Please understand that."

Katara lifted her head to look at him. "How can I possibly believe you, after all the times you've lied to me?"

"I told you before, I never once lied to you. I've never lied to anyone here."

Katara scowled darkly at him. "I watched you lie to my father."

Zuko furrowed his brow in confusion. "I didn't lie to him. What makes you think that?" His good cheek suddenly colored. "Wait, you were listening?"

"I was. From up there." Katara pointed to the lofted platform.

"Just how much did you hear?" Zuko asked, panicked.

"Enough to prove your guilt." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It was a great sob story. You almost had me, actually. But you messed up with that comment about your bending. You told my dad that you were "clumsy" and you "struggled with bending". I didn't see a lot of clumsiness in our fight just now, and the only time I've seen you struggle with firebending was before you and Aang went dancing with dragons. You're one of the most powerful benders I've ever met!"

The firebender in question stared at her for a moment, then smiled widely, taking her aback.

"It feels good to hear someone say that to me."

Katara's glare intensified, and Zuko sensed that he would be in trouble if he didn't explain himself.

"What I told your father wasn't a lie, Katara. I've had to work really hard to achieve my level of bending. I'm not gifted like you and Azula, or even Toph and Aang for that matter. All of you are amazing benders with a natural gift for your element. Especially you. When I met you, you could barely move water, but look at you now. In just a little over half a year you've become a master. Not even Azula could do that."

Katara felt heat rising in her cheeks and mentally cursed her body's reactions to this boy.

"My firebending was a disgrace to the image of the royal family," Zuko continued. "I was always being compared to Azula, and no matter how hard I trained I never came close to catching her. I also had really poor coordination." He glanced down at himself. "I guess I grew out of that, for the most part, but I used trip a lot and I often lost my balance during training and sparring." His face brightened and he added, "I actually developed a technique for when that happened to keep my opponent away from me where I spin on my arms and bend with my feet. It turns out that it's a good way to catch people off guard. I still use it."

"I've seen you do that. It's pretty cool." Katara remembered watching him flip around on his hands and spin fire in a great arc around him.

"You think so too?" Zuko looked pleased with himself. "I'm really proud of it, but I was worried that it was too over the top. If you like it, though, then I'll keep using it." He smiled brightly at Katara and she returned it. Then they both remembered that she was angry at him and the moment was ruined.

Zuko cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, anyway, my skills really didn't start developing until after my banishment. To tell you the truth, my firebending was still pretty lousy when I met you."

"It didn't seem that way to me," she challenged.

"You hadn't had a lot of experience with benders of any sort before I came though, right? Any bending probably looked amazing to you at the time." His tone wasn't condescending, just matter-of-fact.

Katara couldn't argue with that. Now that she thought about it, his bending back then and his bending now were really quite different. She didn't think that she would stand a chance against his current self with only the bending she'd known at the time they fought in the spirit oasis.

"Fighting you was probably what helped me the most," he admitted. "I used to have to really think about technique and bend in small bursts, but your bending was always fluid and continuos. You think on your feet and adapt your technique to suit your situation. You make it look so _natural_." Zuko summoned a small flame in his palm and they both watched it dance innocently. "When I fought you at the north pole, I saw bending in a whole new light. You used bending the way it was always meant to be used, and I was inspired. I stopped thinking of my fire as a tool and disconnecting myself from it, and I found that firebending came much more easily to me. I actually enjoy bending now, not just the power it gives me."

Katara was flattered, but not convinced. She wanted to believe him, she doubted even he could invent a story like that on the spot, but she didn't want to have her trust thrown in her face by anyone ever again. "I'll admit that you've improved since we met, but that hardly proves anything. How can I be sure you didn't just make all that up?"

Zuko extinguished the flame and met her eyes. "You can't." His own eyes were calm and golden and beautiful. "You'll just have to take my word for it."

Katara stared hard at him for a long moment. To Zuko's credit, he didn't flinch or glance away. He just looked calmly back at her.

This guy was bad for her mental health, that was for sure.

Katara supposed she owed him _something_. She had almost killed him today, and he could have easily taken her life, as well as her father's, but he didn't. Not that she thought she ought to be giving out awards for not killing people, but that wasn't really the point here.

"I'll think about it," she conceded.

Zuko grinned and tried to stand, but was unprepared for the sharp pain that shot through his chest from his barely healed ribs and stumbled backwards against the basin, falling back into his previous position on the rim. "Ow."

Katara put her hand on his back again and helped him stand. "Don't push yourself just yet. Those ribs are barely holding together."

"This might be a problem when I train Aang tomorrow."

"I'll heal you again after dinner. I need to recover my strength a bit. Healing takes a lot out of me."

"It's okay, you don't have to go out of your way." Zuko straightened his shirt and tunic and tightened the gold belt at his waist.

"Zuko, I did this to you. It's my responsibility to fix the things I break."

"...Oh. Thanks?"

"Don't mention it. Now let's get you back to your room so you can lie down."

oO0Oo

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><p>You've made it to the end of chapter three! (and what a lengthy chapter it was)<p>

So Katara and Zuko had their first major confrontation in this chapter, and I think they've come out better for it. Katara has decided to make an effort to not see the worst in Zuko, and Zuko is just happy that she's talking to him.

They had a bit of a bondy moment over Zuko's breakdancing. I always wondered how he would've come up with that move, and it makes sense to me if it began as a means of self defense for when he fell or was knocked off his feet in battle. I feel this explanation is slightly more satisfying than "my voice actor is Dante Basco", not that we don't all adore Dante! ;)

There were parts of this chapter that I felt needed to be changed/improved, but I didn't have the energy to figure out how to do that. I know I'll regret it later.

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment. I love hearing from you. If you have an account, be sure to sign in before you review so that I can reply/answer your questions/thank you personally.

To anyone who's concerned, this fic is still part of the humor genre, and we'll be seeing more of it in coming chapters.

Next Chapter: Katara and Zuko will have an awkward moment with the rest of the gaang, and Sokka will have another talk with Zuko.

See you then!


	4. Bonding

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Four

Bonding

The trek back to the common area was long and frustrating, as neither Katara nor Zuko had paid much attention in getting to the library in the first place. Zuko was determined to walk on his own, which Katara wasn't so happy about. The guy had shattered two ribs and almost drowned in his own blood, for La's sake. She knew he was in pain, so why wouldn't he just let her help him? Stupid, stubborn firebenders and their Agni-damned pride!

Twice, they made a wrong turn and had to backtrack. When they finally found their way back, everyone was in the common area–which they were forced to walk through to reach the bedrooms–and this ended up being incredibly awkward for them both. Toph noticed them first, as she does, and kindly announced their presence to the entire chamber.

"Hey Sweetness, Sparky. Where've you two been?"

Katara added the blind earthbender to her list of people for Agni to damn.

Literally every pair of eyes were on them (Toph's didn't count), as everyone had paused in their various activities at Toph's announcement, and both Katara and Zuko felt decidedly uncomfortable. Even Chit Sang, who didn't share any real history with them, seemed surprised to see the tow of them enter the room together.

Katara, letting her indignation get the best of her, crossed her arms huffily and cast her well-practiced glare at all of them. "What? Is there something strange about me walking with Zuko?"

Haru and Teo shared a look and Toph smirked. Zuko glanced at Hakoda, but the older man's face was unreadable. Aang exchanged a disbelieving look with the rest, then turned back to Katara and said, "Um, yeah."

Katara bristled and Zuko spoke up to save her from the awkward moment. "We were discussing some things."

He didn't mention their fight. They had both agreed that telling the others would only cause problems and create drama that neither of them were particularly keen to deal with at the moment.

"Really? That's good then." Aang grinned at them. "I'm glad the two of you are finally getting along." He turned to Katara, and in a sage voice said, "I knew that if you just gave Zuko a chance, you'd be able to let go of your anger and forgive him."

Katara was reminded of her conversation with Suki. She looked away, unable to bear the look of pride the young avatar was giving her.

"I haven't forgiven him," she stubbornly confessed. "We talked for a bit and came to an understanding, but I still don't trust him."

Katara hoped that Aang wouldn't push the issue right now. Regardless of her stance on the firebender's credibility, Zuko needed to rest, and that was not going to be achieved by standing around and discussing forgiveness.

The spirits must have been on her side, because Sokka gave them the out they needed.

"Don't worry, Aang. Katara will come around eventually," he piped up, and Katara shot him a glare which he ignored like a pro. He turned his head away and waved a hand dismissively, as if bored by the situation. "She just needs to get to know him."

Zuko looked at Sokka, confused. The Water Tribe boy's tune had sure changed from earlier in the afternoon.

"You're right, Sokka," Katara said in mock agreement. "I think I do just need to get to know him better." She motioned to the injured firebender. "Come on, Zuko. Let's go _bond_."

She turned on her heal and stormed off in the direction of their rooms, Fire Prince in tow.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Zuko had never been more happy to see his bed. His chest ached something awful and he was pretty sure there was still some blood in his lung, although his body should be able take care of that on its own.<p>

Katara helped him lie down on top of his blanket, and Zuko decided that, injury notwithstanding, this experience was far more pleasant than the last time she had visited his room. She was in a noticeably less vindictive mood this time.

The waterbender sat herself on the edge of his bed and stared quietly at her feet. Zuko hadn't thought she'd stick around after delivering him, but he wasn't complaining. Just this morning she was loathe to even look at him, but now... well, she still wasn't looking at him, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't out of spite.

"Hey," she suddenly spoke up, startling him a little. He'd begun to think she had assumed a silent vigil of his floor. She still hadn't looked up though.

"Mm?" He waited for her to continue.

"Do you hold back when you fight girls?"

Zuko didn't know what he'd been expecting her to say, but it wasn't that.

"I don't fight women often," he confessed. "There seem to be very few female warriors outside of the Fire Nation, and even among my father's armies they are a minority."

He thought for a moment, wanting to give her a better answer.

"I grew up around Azula and her friends and they're pretty ruthless, so I doubt sex really influences how I fight." He wasn't sure what she wanted to hear, but that was the truth.

"Do you hold back when you fight me?" Katara asked, gaze still fixed on her feet.

Zuko was taken aback. Did she think he treated her differently because of her anatomy? Is that what this was about?

"If you're asking if I go easy on you, then no, I don't."

"But you did today, didn't you?" she argued. "I put my all into our battles and I always thought that you did too, but during our fight you mostly just dodged and blocked."

"That's because my goal was to immobilize you, not hurt you," he explained. "Katara, I respect you as a bender, and as a person. I would never dishonor you by pulling my punches because of something as silly as gender."

Katara finally looked up. She studied his face, considering his statement. Maybe he was lying and maybe he wasn't, she wasn't Toph and she couldn't know for sure, and Zuko was still a long way from earning her trust, but she decided to give 'the benefit of the doubt' approach a try. Innocent until proven guilty.

"Spar with me," she demanded.

Zuko's good eye widened comically. "What? Right now?"

He thought she wanted him to rest! He really didn't think he could go again in his current state.

"Of course not, you dolt! I mean in general, after you're completely healed."

Katara's lack of hesitance in referring to him as a "dolt" made him wonder if she'd been calling him that in her head for a while now. "You want us to be sparring partners?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" she challenged.

"Well, I guess not, but...why? Why me?" Zuko was baffled.

Katara sighed mentally. She had told herself she wouldn't ask for his help, and now that she was he wasn't making it easy for her.

"I can't do it with anyone else," she explained. "Sparring with Toph is never very conducive to training. We usually end up just rolling around in the mud,-"

A few less-than-honorable thoughts crossed Zuko's mind, and he had to turn his face to the side to hide his blush. Luckily Katara was focused on her explanation and didn't notice.

"-and none of the boys will fight me seriously. Aang doesn't want to 'hurt me' and Haru isn't aggressive enough."

If rolling around in mud was how Katara fought earthbenders, Zuko didn't think he wanted her training with Haru.

"I doubt Chit Sang would agree to fight me at all," she finished.

"I see," he said, forcing the redness from his cheeks and looking back at her. "So you think fighting me will help you improve?"

"Even if the others were willing to give me a good match, you're still the best choice," she admitted. "You're a firebender, and since our enemy is the Fire Nation having you or Chit Sang as my opponent makes the most sense. You're better and more intelligent than Chit Sang, not that I mean to offend him, he's really a good person."

Katara liked the man, but he wasn't the shiniest apple in the bushel.

"Plus, I like fighting you," she added before she could stop herself.

"You do?" Zuko couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face at her confession.

He also enjoyed their fights. Katara kept him on his toes and they were at about the same level in terms of skill, so it wasn't just one of them attacking the whole time while the other ran or dodged. They traded blows and tried to outdo each other, almost like a game. And, as he'd told her before, he liked watching her bend. In fact, he like watching her do just about anything.

"Don't get a big head," she warned, poking him in the arm. Then, more hesitantly she said, "so you'll do it?"

"If that's what you really want," he confirmed. "It'll be good practice for me too."

Katara nodded and abruptly stood up.

"I need to go make dinner. Yue knows nobody else here can be trusted near a cooking pot. I'll bring you some when I'm done, so just stay here and try not to move too much," she instructed.

Zuko nodded his assent.

"After you eat I'll give your ribs another go," she promised, then she turned and walked out.

Zuko watched her leave his room, hardly believing how dramatically things had changed between them in a single afternoon. Now, instead of threatening him or sniping at him, she was taking care of him. If an injury was all it took to alter her attitude maybe he should have let her beat on him sooner. Not that being stabbed by his own ribs had been a particularly pleasant experience...

Katara had barely been gone two minutes before someone else pushed aside the cloth covering his doorway and invited himself into Zuko's room.

"Sokka?" He wasn't expecting to see anyone between now and when Katara returned with dinner, much less her older brother, although the Water Tribe teen's behavior in the common room had confused him and maybe that was the reason for his sudden visit.

"Zuko, I owe you an apology," Sokka stated without preamble.

"You do?"

"You could have told everyone about Katara attacking you and put her in a really tough position, but you didn't," Sokka explained. "I'm not saying that what my sister did was okay, just that it was really good of you not to bring the others into it."

"What makes you think she-"

"There's blood on your clothes and you looked like you were trying not to keel over back there. Don't worry though, I don't think anyone else noticed."

"How do you know I didn't do that to myself during training?" Zuko was shamelessly grasping for straws.

Sokka gave him a how-stupid-do-you-think-I-am look. "Unless you train by throwing yourself into walls or attacking yourself with your swords, I highly doubt you got that roughed up on your own. Also, I asked Toph after the two of you left and she confirmed it."

"She can feel things from that far away?"

"She sensed this whole temple from the top of the cliffside," Sokka pointed to the ceiling for emphasis, "and it doesn't even move."

Zuko suddenly felt like he had a lot less privacy. "So she feels everything we do?"

The younger teen glanced around shiftily and then leaned forward and nodded his head at Zuko in a meaningful manner. "_Everything_. I'm telling you, buddy, you can't even wax your paddle without-"

"Okay! Sokka, I get it!" Zuko covered his face with his hand in embarrassment. It didn't take the vast intellect of Wan Shi Tong to know what "paddle waxing" was a euphemism for. Just how often did Sokka...? No, he didn't want to know. In fact, he wanted to never think of this again.

There was an awkward pause where both boys just kind of looked at each other. Awkwardly.

It was very awkward.

Like caught wearing your mother's jewelry awkward.

Like talking about paddle waxing during an apology awkward.

"I'm just saying..." Sokka defended with a shrug. "But anyway, I came to say sorry for my outburst this afternoon. You're not a creep, you're a good guy. Minus the whole chasing us and trying to capture Aang thing..."

Zuko opened his mouth to accept the other boy's apology, but it seemed Sokka hadn't finished.

"-and attacking our home," he added. "And burning Suki's village. And helping your crazy sister try to kill Aang in Ba Sing Se. And sending Combustion Man after us. Oh, and also-" Sokka saw the afflicted expression on Zuko's face and caught himself. "I mean, ...yeah. You're um, you're a good guy," he finished lamely.

"Right, a good guy," the injured firebender repeated dubiously.

"I mean it," Sokka insisted. "Look, the reason I overreacted before was because I worry about Katara. The last boy who showed interest in her wasn't so honorable."

This time Zuko didn't bother to correct Sokka's implication about his feelings for Katara. He was more interested in learning about this not-so-honorable boy and what he'd done to earn that description.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Sokka was a bit surprised at the steel in the yellow-eyed boy's voice. "It was during our journey to the North Pole, when it was just Aang and Katara and me. We ran into an encampment of Fire Nation soldiers and were saved by a group of rebels calling themselves 'Freedom Fighters'."

The term "Freedom Fighters" rang a bell, but Zuko couldn't remember why.

"The guy was their leader," Sokka continued. "He seemed cool at first, and he was definitely charismatic. We all took a shine to him right away, Katara especially. He was all sweet words and noble ambition –always going on about justice and putting an end to Fire Nation oppression– and Katara was infatuated with him."

Zuko found it a little depressing that Katara bonded with men over their mutual hatred for his nation.

"I'm guessing he wasn't as great as he seemed?" he asked.

Sokka nodded. "Turned out he was bit of a psycho, and that he'd been manipulating us to help him flood a town full of innocent people using Katara and Aang's waterbending. I caught on early and managed to evacuate the people before the water hit, but when Katara found out... well, she was crushed."

There was a moment of silence in which Sokka's words were absorbed.

"She trusted him and he betrayed her," Zuko paraphrased.

"Yeah, he did." Sokka agreed soberly.

Zuko clenched his hands into fists at his sides. It was no wonder Katara was so reluctant to accept him into their group; why she assumed he was trying to earn their trust for his own nefarious purposes. His actions in Ba Sing Se only convinced her that he was just like the boy who broke her heart.

Despite his guilt, Zuko felt hot fury rising inside him. How **dare** that scum play with Katara's feelings. How **dare** he **use** **her** to hurt people. If he had gotten away with his plan, Katara would have been responsible for the deaths of Agni knows how many people, and Zuko wasn't sure that she would have ever recovered from something like that.

"Anyway," Sokka could tell that his friend's thoughts had taken a darker turn, and the dark-skinned boy wanted to assuage the him before he got too worked up. "Despite his faults and what he did to us, he wasn't really a bad person. He was just so full of hate and rage, I don't think he knew how to deal with it. We ran into him again in Ba Sing Se and he helped us infiltrate the secret base under Lake Laogai to find Appa, but he was killed by Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li. Even though he hurt her, Katara really regrets not being able to save him that day."

Katara's concern for others' wellbeing was truly remarkable, Zuko thought, even for her enemies. Her reaction when she'd realized he was hurt during their fight earlier was instantaneous, and Sokka said she regretted that boy's death. How could she forgive him after what he did to her? Zuko didn't know the guy, but if he'd been in Katara's position he'd feel more inclined to wring the bastard's neck than save him.

"Zuko," the blue-eyed warrior addressed him directly, "I don't want Katara to get hurt again. That's all I'm saying."

Sokka's tone was serious, and even though the boy still had the wrong idea about his feelings for Katara, Zuko could agree with him on that point.

"She won't be. I promise."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>It's the end of chapter four! I'm sorry it took longer to post this. I'm in my last term of college, and even though it's only the second week the work load is hellish. Linguistics majors have problem sets up the wazoo! As usual, a big thank you to all of my reviewers!<p>

To **Clouds4lif e**: I'm so glad I have been able to give you a pleasurable Zutara experience! I'm just trying to spread the love. :D

In this chapter the boys had an awkward moment, and Sokka has told Zuko about Katara's experience with Jet, though Zuko has no idea he's the same guy that stalked him in Ba Sing Se.

Katara and Zuko are now sparring buddies, and they will bond in the coming chapters. Zuko is feeling very protective of Katara, but doesn't really realize it, and Katara is finding it harder to mistrust him.

Next chapter: Katara and Zuko will spend a lot of time together, and people will notice.

See you then!


	5. Intense Meditation

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Five

Intense Meditation

As usual, Zuko woke with the sun. As he got out of bed and stretched his muscles, he was surprised to feel little residual soreness from his ribs. He knew Katara was a good healer, but he didn't fully appreciate just _how_ good she was until his own wounds were treated with her miraculous glowing hands.

Her surprisingly pleasant glowing hands.

Zuko hadn't been in the clearest state of mind the when Katara healed him in the library, but he was fully alert during her second attempt after dinner. The waterbender had returned to his room the previous evening with two bowls of rice and a small tray of grilled rabbit-pheasant that her father had caught on his hunt. Zuko had been pleasantly surprised by her decision to eat with him, as he'd assumed she would take her meal with her friends. She had cast him a disapproving look upon finding him propped up against the wall instead of lying down like she thought he ought to be, but was otherwise quite amiable. He'd been a little worried that she would resume her previous hostility towards him after having had time to herself to remember how much she hated him.

She'd strode right up to him, handed him his bowl and a pair of chopsticks, and then planted herself in her previous position at the edge of his bed, set the tray down between them and said, "Eat."

It had been a little awkward at first, but the two of them eventually relaxed and even managed a friendly conversation about the meal. Zuko had learned that Chit Sang had used his firebending to cook the pheasant; everyone was surprised to learn that he was quite the gourmet. Katara also told him that Chit Sang had tried to teach Aang about culinary firebending, but Aang had wanted no part in torturing animals, even ones that were already dead.

After their meal, Katara had moved the empty dishes off of the bed and instructed him to lie down again so that she could begin healing. He'd complied and was going to ask her if she wanted him to remove his shirt, but he hadn't even gotten the first word out before she deftly untied the knot on his belt and pulled his tunic and hippari open.

That had certainly startled him a fair bit. Did she undress people often?

Perhaps modesty just wasn't as big an issue in the Water Tribes.

Katara had then proceeded to draw water from one of her skins and Zuko had been fascinated when it gloved her hands and began to glow. It had reminded him of blue fire, but dimmer, and far less threatening than Azula's. He'd tried to picture Katara bending his element–with her passion and stubbornness she'd probably be excellent at it–but he ultimately decided that he preferred her as a waterbender.

Being healed had been a bizarre experience, but not an unpleasant one. She had laid her glowing hands palm-down atop his tender ribs and he'd actually been able to feel the damage in his bones and surrounding muscle tissue being repaired. Zuko felt his face heat up as he remembered the feeling of those hands running over his chest and how they had sent a small thrill of sensation through his body. In the end, he had been so concentrated on keeping his heart rate steady that he hadn't even noticed that his body no longer hurt.

Coming out of his thoughts, Zuko pulled his boots on and grabbed his hippari and tunic, noting with a sigh that there were indeed traces of blood spotting the dark red fabric. Somehow the gold trim on his tunic had made it through unscathed, and he thanked his lucky star (Zuko was fairly certain he only had one) for that. Nevertheless, he would be expanding his morning ritual to include laundry today. He found the small leather bag he used to hold bandages and soap and anything else he might need during Aang's lesson and slung it over his shoulder before leaving the room.

He stopped briefly by the toilet nearest his room and then made his way to the open platform with the large fountain. Upon arriving, he set his clothes and bag on the fountain's wide rim, then used the water to clean his hair and teeth. After that, he moved a few paces away so that he had plenty of room and began his routine warm up.

He started with stretching and then moved to hot squats and pushups. He did this every morning before he woke Aang for his lesson. The young avatar grumped and griped about having to train so early in the morning, but Zuko felt he was doing the kid a favor by allowing him to continue sleeping during this time. Aang could bend fire, but he wasn't a firebender. He didn't feel the pull of the sun as acutely as Zuko did.

He finished his warm up, not even having broken a sweat. These exercises were just meant to loosen his muscles, the strenuous stuff would come later with Aang. He wandered back to the edge of the fountain and grabbed his soiled tunic. He decided to wash it first since it had taken the brunt of the blood from his coughing. The small amount of blood that did end up on his hippari was mainly just on the sleeve that he'd used to wipe his mouth.

Now that he thought about it, he realized that he had neglected to check his pants or boots. He set the tunic back on the fountain's edge and bent down to inspected his lower half. His pants looked fine, but his boots had a small spattering of the dark liquid that must've splashed there when it hit the floor. Zuko sighed for the second time that morning and yanked his boots off his feet and placed them with his wash pile. He then dipped both hands into the fountain and heated the water as best he could, although it wouldn't remain hot for long. The fountain water was constantly draining into the long channel leading to the cliffside and being replaced by fresh water from above. The irrigation system was great in that it provided them with an unending supply of clean water, but it wasn't so helpful in cases like these.

Not wasting any time, he sat himself next to his pile and picked up his tunic again. Time to get his wash on.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara was startled awake by the sounds of someone digging around in her bag.<p>

She became instantly alert and quickly sat up, peering around in the dim early morning light for the intruder. For a horrible moment she thought the Fire Nation had found them, but then she saw a familiar white form hunched over her pack and adrenaline was replaced by annoyance.

"Momo!"

The lemur froze, then slowly turned his head to stare guiltily at the irate female with his large green eyes. Katara's own eyes came to rest on the pieces of dried mango clutched in his tiny fists.

Her mangos!

She had been saving those to help tide her over in the unlikely but possible event that she became separated from the others while traveling between towns and had to provide for herself. Now she would have to find something else to take the their place. Unfortunately for her, the team was low on nonperishables at the moment. Fresh food could be procured easily enough from the forests surrounding the temple, so there hadn't been much need to preserve anything since they'd arrived.

She glared crossly at the small furry larcenist and opened her mouth to give him an earful, but she never got the chance because he quickly recovered his wits and cheesed it, taking the rest of her mango with him.

"Yeah, you better run you little thief!" she called after him, wagging her finger uselessly at the empty doorway. The lemur had just earned himself a spot on her **List**.

She glanced out the rectangular window-like opening near her bed and could tell from the slowly lightening sky that the sun would soon be peaking out over the horizon. She grumbled to herself at being woken at such an ungodly hour and collapsed back onto her pillow, fully intent on grabbing a few more hours of sleep. She tucked her flimsy blanket around her and tried to get comfortable, but now that she was awake she was aware of the foul taste in her mouth that develops during the night, and she felt like she was fighting a losing battle with her bladder.

Groaning in annoyance, Katara gave up on sleep and padded over to her pack to retrieve her toiletries. She used water from the small washtub on her room's lone table to scrub her teeth and tongue, and then left to visit the communal restroom down the hall. The Western and Eastern Air Temples had been inhabited exclusively by women, so the toilet facilities were much more to Katara's liking than those at the Northern Temple where they'd stayed with Teo and his dad.

After finishing up in the restroom, Katara returned to her chamber and gathered her clothes to dress for the day. She pulled her baggy blue pants on over her lower bindings, tightening the ties around her calves, then she donned her short sleeved tunic and fastened it in place with its thin white belt. Since she would be training with Aang again today, she also bound her forearms and ankles with the dark blue sarashi typical of women in her tribe.

Being awake this early was atypical for Katara, and now that she was dressed she wasn't sure what to do with herself. The sky was much lighter now that the sun had appeared, and she wondered if Aang and Zuko had started training already. She had only ever caught the end of their early morning sessions, so she wasn't sure exactly when they began or what they entailed, which had always bothered her because during this time Zuko was left with Aang completely unsupervised and she worried the dastardly firebender would use this chance to make off with her young friend. She was a bit less concerned about that after yesterday's events, but since she was awake anyway she might as well go see what they got up to so freakishly early in the morning.

She slipped her shoes on and headed in the direction of the fountain where the two of them had been training lately, betting they would be pretty surprised to see her so early.

Reaching her destination, Katara was the surprised one to find Zuko, sans Aang, clad only in his crimson pants and perched on the edge of the fountain with his feet in the water, scrubbing at what she assumed was his shirt.

Was he... doing laundry?

She walked over to get a better look and Zuko glanced up at her with a confused expression.

"Katara? What are you doing up so early?"

Katara had to control the conditioned urge to snap at him for speaking to her. It wasn't that she was mad at him or anything, she had just become accustomed to responding to everything he did with hostility.

She frowned, thinking about her rude awakening. "Momo got hungry."

Zuko didn't look any less confused, but he made no further inquiries on the matter.

"You haven't woken Aang yet?" she asked, steering the conversation in the direction of her reason for being here. "I was under the impression that you liked to start his training at dawn."

"I'm going to get him after I finish with this." He nodded at the wet shirt in his hands.

"Oh. Is it okay if I watch?" She immediately chastised herself for asking. She didn't need his permission to observe Aang's lesson. She didn't need his permission to do anything.

He shrugged. "It's just laundry."

Katara's eyebrow twitched in exasperation. Had Zuko always been this obtuse?

"I meant Aang's firebending training," she clarified.

"Oh." He looked embarrassed. "Sure, it's fine if you want to watch."

There was a bit of an awkward silence after that. Zuko went back to his washing and Katara sat down on the rim a few feet from him, both of them trying to think of something else to say. Katara watched her dark-haired companion dunk the red cloth into the water and then rub the fabric together in certain places, likely trying to remove stains.

"So," she spoke up, "do all princes wash their own laundry?"

Zuko surprised her by smiling a little at her question. "I don't know about all princes, but I can tell you that didn't get a whole lot of pampering when I was a refugee."

"What about at home?"

"Home? You mean the palace?" He looked up at her again questioningly. She nodded.

"Of course I didn't have to do anything there. We have an entire team of servants whose sole responsibility is laundry."

Katara looked at him in disbelief. "All they do is laundry?"

He nodded. "The servants are divided by function. Each team has its own set of tasks."

"Like what?"

Zuko paused and thought for a moment. Well, there's the kitchen staff; chefs, sous chefs, dishwashers and the like. They rarely leave the kitchens. Then there's the waitstaff, who manage the dining chamber and serve our meals; chambermaids, who clean our bedrooms and bathrooms; personal attendants, who are assigned to the service of specific nobles; I already mentioned the laundresses..." he frowned thoughtfully, counting them off in his head to see who he was missing. "Ah, right, there's also groundkeepers, stablehands, palanquin bearers, and the general cleaning and maintenance personnel."

Katara had to force herself not to gawk at him like a fool. "I- I see."

She tried to sound nonchalant, but she was completely and utterly blown away. She knew the Fire Nation was the richest and most powerful nation in the world, but dear Yue, from what Zuko said it sounded like there were more servants just in the Fire Lord's palace than there were people in her whole tribe, men included! Just how powerful were they?

She recalled Omashu's great spires innovative mail delivery system, the frozen splendor of the Northern Water Tribe with its complex network of canals, the incogitable_ enormity_ of Ba Sing Se with its amazing monorail transit system and refined citizens. All but one had fallen before the might of the Fire Nation. She stared at the boy next to her; hunched over the side of the fountain with water up to his calves, scrubbing determinedly at his shirt, and the young tribeswoman felt as though she was seeing him for the first time.

This was the Fire Lord's child; his first born son. She'd always seen the 'prince' attached to his name as just a title. She knew his dad was Ozai and that his family was responsible for the war, but she'd never really considered the broader implications. To her, he was just 'Zuko', the stubborn, hot tempered, arrogant Fire Nation jerk who chased them across the world. He had never struck her as terribly 'princely'.

But Zuko was _actually_ a prince; the crownprince of the _most powerful nation in the world_.

Katara took a moment to really look at Zuko for the first time since their imprisonment in Ba Sing Se. He had the same strong jaw she'd noticed so many months ago riding behind him on that blind mole thing (a shirshu, if she remembered correctly). She used to think he looked fierce, even scary at times, but now that his face had relaxed out of the angry scowl she'd become so familiar with, she saw that his features were naturally quite gentle. His nose was straight and his cheekbones high, the archetype of aristocracy. His unscarred eye curved ever so slightly upward at the end, as was typical of his countrymen, and the eyebrow on that side was neat and shapely, unlike his uncle's flyaway old man eyebrows. If it weren't for the angry red burn covering the upper left side of his face, Katara had no doubt he'd have to beat girls off with his swords.

It wasn't just his face that looked different to her now. Maybe it was her imagination, but lately he seemed... she tried to think of the right word, slimmer? Leaner? He had never been fat by any stretch, but in her memory he was broader and thicker. Perhaps it was just that he had always been so heavily dressed when she'd seen him in the past, making him appear larger than he actually was. Observing him now, unconcealed by heavy Fire Nation armor or layered Earth Kingdom robes – or even a shirt for that matter –, she saw that his frame was muscular but streamlined. He was built for dexterity as well as power.

She would never admit it, but Suki was right, Zuko was very attractive.

"So," Zuko suddenly spoke, breaking Katara's train of thought, "when did you want to spar?"

It took the waterbender a moment to remember that he'd agreed to train with her yesterday.

"How about after breakfast?" she suggested.

Zuko pulled his shirt from the water and laid it next to his damp tunic and boots before looking over at her with a small smile. "Alright, after breakfast."

Katara couldn't help returning his smile, she was looking forward to sparring with him. She was tired of sitting around and doing domestic work while everyone else prepared for the comet. She was a warrior too, dammit!

"I can dry those for you," she offered, gesturing to Zuko's freshly washed vestments.

His smile widened, and Katara felt ridiculous for finding it the smallest bit charming.

"Thanks, but I can handle it," he assured her. He then stepped out of the fountain, shaking water off his feet, and placed both hands flat on the surface of his hippari.

As she watched, he slowly spread his palms apart, as if he were smoothing out wrinkles, and she saw steam rise from the point of contact between flesh and cloth. Zuko continued to do this until all of the water had evaporated, resulting in a perfectly dry and delightfully warm looking shirt.

Oh, how wonderful that would feel in the frigid climate of the South Pole!

The fascinated young woman continued to watch Zuko as he dried his tunic and boots in the same fashion, and she decided then and there that after they won this war she would bring a firebender home with her for the express purpose of heating her laundry.

Zuko finished and dressed himself in his freshly cleaned clothes. Then he grabbed his bag and declared that he was going to go wake Aang. Katara nodded and rose to follow him. She supposed she could just wait here while he fetched her young friend, but she ultimately decided that watching him struggle with a grumpy just-woken Avatar would be more entertaining.

Katara was all about entertainment if it was at Zuko's expense.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>As they walked together through the silent corridors, Katara listened while Zuko quietly explained Aang's training regimen to her. She learned that he always began the lesson with meditation, ostensibly so that Aang could could practice his breathing and bond with his inner fire, but Zuko was fairly sure the insouciant young airbender used this time to catch up on more sleep. Katara was not surprised by this.<p>

After meditating, they would warm up with some stretching and conditioning exercises, although Zuko admitted that he really only participated in this part for Aang's sake as he had a warm up routine of his own that preceded their session.

It struck Katara that Zuko was fond of structure and routines.

Once he deemed his pupil officially "warmed up" Zuko would transition into the actual lesson, which usually involved some combination of theory, technique, forms, drills, and sparring. Training usually ended when Katara called them for breakfast, which she already knew, but if they were working on something especially important Zuko reserved the right to extend the lesson past breakfast. Katara remembered him doing that yesterday.

They arrived at Aang's door, and Zuko didn't even bother knocking before pushing the curtain aside and strolling right into the room. Katara followed him.

Aang was slumbering peacefully on the bed in the corner, and the water maiden scowled when she saw the small white body curled up by his head. So this was where the little mango pincher had run off to.

Zuko stopped in front of the bed and reached out a hand to gently shake the happily dreaming twelve year old. "Wake up, Aang. We've got a lot to cover today."

Aang grumbled and rolled over.

"Aang," Zuko repeated firmly, giving the boy another shake.

This time the airbender swatted at his hand, unintentionally disrupting Momo.

"Go bug someone else," he groaned sleepily.

Katara stifled a chuckle at Aang's dismissiveness.

Zuko frowned. "I'd love to, but you're the one who needs to learn firebending."

"Teach Sokka."

"Must we go through this every time?"

"Must you wake me up so ridiculously early every morning?"

The cheeky young Avatar let out a surprised yelp as Zuko grabbed one of his ankles and lifted him bodily off the bed, dangling him upside down over the floor in just his pants.

"Okay, okay! I'm up!" he surrendered, flailing his limbs ineffectually.

Katara could only look on in half shock half amusement. She'd nearly panicked when Zuko suddenly grabbed her friend, thinking he was attacking Aang, but it quickly became apparent that the firebender was only playing around. Sort of. In any case, Katara got the impression that this wasn't the first time Aang had been woken in such a manner, and Katara wondered when it was that their former enemy had ingrained himself so comfortably into their group that a scene like this, one that she never would have imagined only a few weeks ago, could feel so familiar.

She also wondered if it occurred to Zuko that he'd just successfully "captured the Avatar".

Zuko let his student down and brought his bag around from his shoulder. He loosened the cord around the opening and reached inside, producing an apple which he held out to Aang.

"Eat," he commanded simply.

Aang made a pouty face but took the proffered fruit.

Only then did he notice the bemused waterbender standing off to the side. His eyes widened and his cheeks flushed and he nearly dropped the apple. "Katara! What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to watch your lesson," she replied, smirking just a bit at his flustered expression.

Aang looked questioningly at Zuko who nodded in confirmation. His young face split into a huge grin. "Awesome! I'll show you all the great firebending moves I've been working on. Just wait till you see my flame dragon, it's-"

"You are going to focus on your training," Zuko declared sternly. "You can goof off afterwards."

Aang sighed and rolled his eyes. "Can I trade you in for another teacher?"

Zuko made a grumpy face which Katara found quite entertaining.

"You have five minutes to get dressed," the serious sixteen year old warned. "I'll be waiting by the fountain. Thirty hot squats for every second that you're late."

That said, he turned and strode out of the room, ignoring his student's distressed expression.

Katara smiled encouragingly at Aang before following the older male out.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Aang did in fact make it within the allotted time, an accomplishment which he was very proud of. Katara didn't tell him that Zuko hadn't actually bothered to time him. It seemed the austere teen was confident that the threat of extra work would be enough to get his unenthused pupil moving.<p>

Said unenthused pupil actually became quite enthused when he remembered that Katara was going to be watching his training.

Just as Zuko said, they began with meditation. The Avatar and Fire Prince sat down across from one another on the stone floor, and Zuko reminded Aang to concentrate on breathing. As they sat there in silence Katara perched on the rim of the fountain and watched with curiosity. She'd never tried meditating. It wasn't something that waterbenders practiced. At least not that she'd seen. Although the basic principle didn't seem too different from her yoga.

If she was just going to sit here quietly until they finished anyway, she may as well give it a try.

Katara walked over to where they sat and settled herself adjacent to them, mimicking their posture. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, like Zuko always told Aang, but she quickly realized that she didn't know what to do from there. Try to empty her mind? Contemplate her place in the universe? She wasn't sure how either would help her become a better bender.

"Listen to your body. Feel your energy flow and follow it."

Katara was startled by the soft, unexpected voice. She opened her eyes and saw that Zuko also had his eyes open and was watching her. Aang showed no signs of having heard him. Either he was deep in his own meditation, or Zuko was right and he'd actually fallen asleep.

"You're not a firebender," the dark-haired boy continued. "Breathing exercises might not be as helpful to you. You need to find a method of commanding your chi that works best for you."

Katara stared at him, contemplating his words. Being a master bender she was more than capable of using her chi to control the water around her, but she'd never given much thought to chi on its own; the pure, raw energy that exists within every living thing. Maybe having a better understanding of it would be useful to her.

She nodded and closed her eyes again. Zuko had said to follow the flow of her energy. That shouldn't be too hard. Waterbenders are all about flow.

She breathed slowly and deeply and let her bending senses take over, hoping that the energy around her would help her locate her own. She felt the water in the fountain, the moisture in the early morning air, the distant pull of the hidden moon. She turned her focus inward and tried to pinpoint the source of her bending power. This would be a lot easier if she knew what to look for.

She probed around, becoming frustrated when after several minutes she was no closer than when she'd started. She used her bending all the time! Why was this so difficult?

Katara tried to calm herself. Getting worked up wasn't going to help her. There must be something she was missing.

_Listen to your body._

Those were Zuko's words, and he was definitely more knowledgable than her. She wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but it's not like she had any better ideas.

She listened. She listened to her breathing, to her lungs expanding and contracting, to her heart beating, to her blood flowing.

Flowing...

_Feel your energy flow and follow it._

She couldn't follow her energy, but she could follow her blood.

She took took a deep breath and narrowed her concentration to just the flow of her blood. She tracked it as it was pumped from her heart into her arteries, as it travelled through her body supplying oxygen to her cells, and as it entered her veins and was carried back to her heart. Just then, she had an Epiphany: The human body was just a vessel made up of countless pathways. And if the body was made up of pathways then chi must follow one.

As soon as she realized this, Katara knew just what to look for. Standing out among the vast network of passages within her was a single clear path stretching in a straight line through seven points from her coccyx to the top of her head, and all along it she felt a puissant energy that could only be her chi, calm yet so very powerful.

_Follow it._

She did. She followed it from the base of her spine up through her ovaries, her belly, her chest, her throat, her forehead...

With each area, Katara felt something deep inside of her shift, like a rusty wheel trying to turn again after decades of disuse. She felt power rising within her as if the moon was waxing at a rapid pace, but many, many times stronger.

When her chi reached the seventh point at the top of her head, Katara almost reeled as the rusty wheel finally began to spin and her power burst, coursing through her body like the merciless sea. Her senses exploded outward, and all at once she became hyperaware of every drop of water within several miles' radius of the temple. She felt every stream, every puddle, every plant, every creature; it was thrilling. It was terrifying.

The sensation only lasted a moment, and then the wheel locked up again and she was plunged back into herself.

This time she did reel.

"Are you okay Katara?"

The dazed waterbender opened her eyes to see a worried Aang hovering in front of her.

"Uh, yeah. I think so." She blinked a few times, still trying to orient herself. The air around her seemed almost to shimmer, and she felt warm and oddly weightless.

What had just happened to her? Wasn't meditating supposed to relax you?

Aang was still looking at her concernedly but she glanced past him and scanned the area questioningly. "Where's Zuko?"

"Right here," a distinctly male voice came from just above her.

Katara tilted her head back and saw the golden eyed teen looking down at her. She quickly discovered the reason for the warm weightless feeling. Zuko was knelt behind her with his right hand on her shoulder and her head propped against his chest. When did this happen? She scrambled away from him and stood up, pretending to brush dust off her clothes to hide her embarrassment.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Aang asked.

"I'm fine. I just had a bit of an intense meditative experience," she joked. "Go ahead and continue your training."

She walked past Zuko and resumed her previous position on the fountain. The older teen raised his eyebrow at her dubiously but didn't say anything. He probably thought she was ridiculous for keeling over from meditation of all things. Well she would show him when they sparred later.

Katara watched the rest of the lesson in a bit of a daze, thoughts of the pure unadulterated power she'd felt in that single instant churning in her head. Maybe she should mention it to Aang. As the Avatar, he might know what had happened to her, and if he didn't, well, he could use all the power he could get to face Ozai.

Or perhaps she should ask Zuko. He was the master of meditation wasn't he?

Katara pushed those thoughts aside for the time being, and instead thought about how she was going to kick Zuko's ass in their match later.

She watched her opponent bend with Aang and grinned in excitement.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>You've finished chapter five, and so have I! Woohoo! Holy crap on a stick, this chapter took forever!<p>

I'm so sorry this one took so long. I've been outrageously busy and that's not just an excuse. I spend nearly all of my free time writing this story, as my roommate can attest, but there just isn't enough time in the day.

I ended up not getting to the things I planned for this chapter, but everything here needed to be said.

On another note, have any of you ever noticed that only the Southern Air Temple actually looks like it was attacked? There aren't any corpses at the other three temples. Where did all the bodies go?

Next chapter: Battle and intrigue! The gaang will getting a show.


	6. Breakfast and a Match

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Six

Breakfast and a Match

Katara absently stirred the large a large pot of rice porridge while she watched Aang chase Momo around in the ravine on his glider. Zuko had disappeared after the lesson, saying he wanted to fetch some things and that he'd meet her and Aang back at the common area. The rest of the temple was still asleep, but Katara knew that her companions would begin trickling in soon.

Watching Aang and Zuko train had actually been rather fun. There were points when she was tempted to join in, just for kicks. Honestly, Aang made it sound so much worse than it really was. Then again, Katara was not opposed to a bit of hard work if it helped her improve her skills. She always strived to be the very best in whatever she set out to do, and she needed to be in top form when they faced the Fire Lord.

Everyone had been worried that Aang wouldn't be ready before the comet, especially since he'd had nobody to instruct him in firebending, but now Zuko was here and even though Aang was still a bit hesitant when commanding such a dangerous element his progress was encouraging. This morning, however, Katara noticed that he held back a lot during his mini-spar with Zuko. While he made an effort to use firebending when blocking, he rarely attacked with it. This clearly displeased his Zuko, who frequently complained that Aang was avoiding the main purpose of the exercise.

Katara was brought out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps in the corridor, and she glanced over to see her father and Suki approaching. She smiled and waved them over, noting their easy companionship. Katara was glad that her dad was getting along so well with Sokka's girlfriend. Hakoda seemed to have grown quite fond of the Kyoshi leader, which relieved Sokka greatly.

Katara wondered how her dad would react to the boy she decided to date...

"Good morning Katara, you're up early today," Hakoda greeted her warmly.

"Yeah, I had some help getting out of bed," she said with a put-upon sigh.

Suki laughed. "Aang couldn't wait for breakfast?" she guessed.

"Not Aang," Katara corrected, "Momo."

Right at that moment, the lemur in question swooped down and landed on her shoulder. She made an annoyed face at him, but pet his head affectionately. Aang followed soon after, landing gracefully on the stone platform and walking over to them.

"Hey, Suki. Hi Chief Hakoda," he greeted cheerfully.

"Hello Aang," Hakoda smiled at the young Avatar. "Were you training again this morning?"

"Like Zuko would give him a break," Suki joked.

Hakoda nodded. "That young man is quite a determined instructor, isn't he?"

"He's a slave driver," Aang lamented. "But Katara came and watched us today, which was nice."

"Oh?" Hakoda raised his eyebrows a tad and looked at his daughter.

"Speaking of Zuko, where is he?" Suki asked, "I didn't see him when we came in."

"Sweetness probably chased him off," announced a new voice from the corridor.

"Oh, hey Toph," Aang greeted the young earthbender as she joined them by the cooking pot.

"I did no such thing," Katara denied, turning back to her porridge.

Toph ignored her and instead addressed the bald airbender. "I hope you aren't too pooped from your training with Sparky, cause I get you after lunch today and I'm not gonna go easy on you."

Aang frowned. "But I'm supposed to have firebending practice again after lunch," he said with confusion. "I don't think Zuko will like me missing another session."

"Prince Grumpy will deal. You train with him all the time and your earthbending still needs a lot of work," she stated, unfazed by the threat of a miffed Zuko.

"So does my waterbending," Aang suggested hopefully.

"Nice try, Twinkletoes, but you're not getting out of this," Toph declared. "Now come with me, I've got some moves to show you." She dragged him to the far end of the common area, paying no mind to his complaints.

Katara and Suki shared an amused look and Hakoda smiled at the youngsters' antics.

Just then, Zuko entered the chamber carrying a good sized sack over his shoulder. He looked momentarily unsure when he saw Suki and Hakoda, but donned a small smile and walked over. Suki tensed a bit, but returned his smile and tried to appear as welcoming as possible to make up for the hostility she was sure Katara would begin to exude any moment now. She was a bit surprised when Hakoda smiled warmly at the young firebender and greeted him readily.

"Good Morning Zuko. Aang told us you worked him hard again today."

The Water Tribe siblings' father had always been perfectly polite to Zuko for sure, and Suki knew he was grateful to the scarred teen for helping Sokka rescue them, but she had never seen Hakoda go out of his way to make sure the prince felt accepted. Something must have changed between them.

Zuko nodded. "We have a lot to get through before Sozin's Comet arrives."

"So, what's in the bag?" Suki asked curiously.

Zuko gently set the sack on the ground and pulled the top open, revealing, of all things, an assortment of fruit. "I picked these from the south orchard. I brought mangos, summer apples, papayas and moon peaches. I thought we might eat them with breakfast." He turned to the thus far silent waterbender who had been examining the fruit with a thoughtful expression. "What do you think, Katara?"

"Apples would go nicely with the porridge," she agreed. "Peel some for me and I'll add them in."

Hakoda and Suki exchanged astonished looks that went unnoticed by the two benders. The last time they checked, Katara refused to give Zuko the time of day, much less allow him to help her with anything. Yesterday had been the first time she'd accepted his offer of assistance, but even then her acceptance was grudging. What changed such that Katara was now assigning him tasks as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

_'Maybe they did bond last night,' _Suki thought with wonder.

oO0Oo

Zuko got to work with his knife, peeling and slicing apples for Katara. When she had a sufficient amount for her porridge he moved on to the other fruit, arranging the pieces onto large plates. One by one, the rest of the temple's occupants joined them, and it wasn't long before the porridge was done and everyone had gathered by the pot for breakfast. Katara filled bowls and passed them around while Zuko did the same with the fruit. There was excitement as the menfolk – and Toph – attacked the plates of fruit, wrestling each other for the best pieces. There were many appreciative comments all around about the delicious apple porridge and sweet, colorful fruit plates, and both Katara and Zuko were quite pleased to receive them.

Katara was a bit surprised when after handing out the fruit, Zuko took a seat next to her and held out another, smaller plate to her. "For me?" she asked, taking it uncertainly.

He nodded. "I wanted to make sure you got some," he gestured at the mercilessly plundered platters around them.

She looked down at her plate, admiring his work. He'd arranged the fruit into the shape of a large blossoming flower that Katara recognized was the same as the one on Sokka's pai sho tile. Who knew the mighty Prince Zuko had a talent for fruit arranging? Did they teach that in prince school or something? She looked back at him and said, "Thanks, Zuko. It was really nice of you to make this for me."

The golden-eyed teen looked at her with an expression of mild surprise, then he smiled shyly. For the second time, Katara thought that Zuko looked very charming when he smiled. It was such a pure expression – she had never previously considered 'pure' an adjective that described anything about him –. She looked back at her plate and plucked a mango from the flower, a bit sad to ruin the lovely bloom, but then she took a bite and her feelings of remorse disappeared. The mango was delicious; perfectly ripe and not stringy at all. Truly, the Fire Nation wasn't all bad; if nothing else, they had great fruit. Next she sampled the moon peaches and summer apples – she pointedly ignored the papaya – and was delighted to find that they were just as ripe and sweet as the mango. Katara had to hand it to Zuko, he knew how to pick 'em. _'Maybe fruit is his secret talent.'_

"How are your ribs, by the way?" she asked him after a while. The question was motivated by politeness more than concern. His injuries had healed quite nicely actually, much better than she was expecting, and she was glad that at one skill at least wasn't being left to stagnate while she washed everyone's socks. There were enough injuries in their group to keep her in practice.

Zuko rubbed his left side, feeling only the slightest soreness. "It's almost like I was never hurt," he told her with obvious fascination. Broken ribs usually took months to fully heal, but he was practically good as new after just two treatments from Katara's magical glowing water. He no longer had any doubts that she'd have been able to heal his scar under Ba Sing Se. "That ability of yours is incredible."

She smiled brightly at him, pleased by his compliment, and Zuko felt like he'd finally done something right in his life. "

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, neither having anything in particular to say. Katara continued to enjoy her fruit and Zuko sat contentedly with his bowl of porridge in his lap and a small smile still lingering on his face. He hadn't felt this at peace in a very long time. It dawned on him that this was probably the first time in his life that none of the people around him hated him. His father had always despised him, and for the better part of her life Azula had too. Many of his crew had not been fond of him either, although that had mainly been his own fault. He was loathed throughout the Earth Kingdom simply for being a firebender. The only other time that he could think of when he hadn't been an object of rancor was during his time as a tea-server in Ba Sing Se, but he didn't think that really counted. It was true that nobody hated _Lee_, but he was not Lee, he was Zuko, and they did hate Zuko. Here, however, even though he was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, even though several of them had seen the worst of him, even though they didn't all like him or trust him, and even if it was just for this moment, nobody hated him. It felt really good.

Zuko watched the lovely young waterbender next to him out of the corner of his eye and his smile morphed into a confused expression when he noticed that she was picking around the meaty sunset-colored half-wedges on her plate. "You don't like papaya? It's very nutritious."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "They aren't my thing."

He shrugged and plucked two of the wedges from her plate, popping one of them into his mouth and chewing happily. "Well they're my thing."

"They're all yours then," she pushed the remaining pieces to the edge of her plate.

Together, they consumed the rest of the fruit while they listened to the conversations going on around them. Sokka was currently losing an argument against Haru – possibly about Bosco the bear – and Toph was dishing out sassy remarks at every opportunity. Chit Sang was telling The Duke some story about a beefy warrior named Strongbad who was on a quest to slay an evil dragon called Trogdor because "the system" was down, whatever that meant. The others were either listening to Chit Sang's story or observing the argument between Sokka and Haru's. Aang couldn't seem to decide between the two, as he kept turning his head back and forth.

Katara was just beginning to understand what was happening in Chit Sang's story when she felt a hesitant touch on her shoulder. She turned back to Zuko and found him looking at her intently with his brow slightly furrowed.

"About earlier... are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Like I told Aang, I'm fine," she insisted.

He wasn't convinced. "You're not sick?" he pressed. "I know you have been under a lot of stress lately, mostly because of me, so if you've been neglecting your health trying to protect your friends–"

Katara cut him off. "Is that why you picked all that fruit?" she asked him incredulously. "You're worried I'm not getting my vitamins?"

The sheepish manner in which he recoiled from her sufficed as confirmation. Katara didn't know whether to be offended that he thought she couldn't take care of herself or touched that he would do something so thoughtful for the sake of her wellbeing. Luckily for Zuko, the distressed expression he was making at the possibility of having incurred her ire once again was adorable enough to assuage her temper.

"Zuko," she used his name for emphasis, "I'm not sick and I'm not neglecting my health. My chi just went a little crazy earlier and it surprised me," she explained. "I've never meditated before, you know?"

"Your chi...went crazy?" He looked at her strangely, and Katara couldn't tell from his expression what he was thinking. "What happened exactly?"

She frowned and tried to think of how to describe the experience. "I followed my chi like you said, but then it... I don't know, exploded or something. I felt really powerful and for a moment my bending senses were extremely acute. Then it just stopped, and it was like I crashed into myself, if that makes any sense."

He just continued to stare at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'm guessing that's not normal?" she asked uncertainly.

It was a while before Zuko answered her. He looked her up and down, frowned, and then opened his mouth like he was going to say something but immediately shut it again. He was quiet for a long moment, and she was insanely curious to know what he was thinking. Finally he said, "No, it isn't."

She furrowed her eyebrows at the exiguousness of the response. "Well, what was it then?"

Zuko looked away apologetically. "I can't really tell you," he admitted. "The only thing I can think of that might explain what happened to you is... Well, it's really unlikely." He turned his eyes back to her face and and said, "Are you sure you're not just sick...? You don't have a fever?"

Katara glared at him and crossed her arms in frustration. "Oh, for the love of La, Zuko, do you need to check for yourself?"

She hadn't meant it seriously, but Zuko reached out a hand toward her face and before she could ask what he thought he was doing, his warm hand was pressed firmly against her forehead. All of Katara's logical thoughts flittered away at the contact. She felt heat rising in her cheeks, and it was like when Aang kissed her on the day of the invasion but _ridiculous_ because Zuko wasn't even kissing her, he was just touching her, and- and maybe this was just a natural reaction when people invaded her face's personal bubble. Do faces have personal bubbles? Well hers certainly didn't, since Zuko just popped it. Or was it Aang that popped it when he kissed her? Maybe it grew back? Come back rational thoughts!

"I'M SAYING," the unexpected raising of Sokka's voice snapped her back to her senses and caused Zuko to withdraw his hand, "what if there's a whole undiscovered continent outside the borders of our maps where people have yellow hair, and their ostrich-horses are actually two separate animals!" They The blue clad teen was leaning forward over his crossed legs, one hand on his knee and the other brandishing his spoon at Haru threateningly.

"And _I'm_ saying that you're crazy!" the mustached earthbender retaliated, swatting at the offending spoon in annoyance. By this point the quarreling males had the attention of everyone in the room, including Chit Sang, who had either finished his story or simply abandoned it in favor of watching the argument unfold. Zuko and Katara glanced at each other at the same time and quickly looked away in embarrassment; Katara because of her brain malfunction, and Zuko because he thought maybe she had realized that he let his hand linger on her forehead for longer than was strictly necessary. Neither noticed Toph, who had at some point deemed the two of them more interesting than Sokka and Haru, and was currently 'observing' their interaction with interest.

Zuko cleared his throat and hesitantly turned his gaze back to the waterbender next to him, trying to think of something to say that would dispel the awkwardness between them. "You're not sick" was the only thing he could come up with.

Katara looked at him with an expression of mock surprise. "Really?"

"It never hurts to check," he defended grumpily. "And anyway, if we're going to spar after this I'd rather be sure that you're not about to collapse." If Katara got hurt during their training because she'd made herself sick worrying about her friends' safety he would feel terrible. He had joined the Avatar's group to redeem himself and put an end to the violence and destruction caused by his people. Hurting the Avatar's waterbending teacher and obvious crush probably wasn't the way to go about that.

"Not that I don't love a good fight," Toph chimed in, surprising them, "but didn't you two get your fill of beating on each other yesterday?" She was well aware of their brawl in the library. She'd been a bit alarmed at first when she felt the telltale vibrations of battle coming from deep in the temple and realized who was making them, but she understood that the waterbender and Fire Prince needed to work out their issues themselves, and if they felt that beating the crap out of each other was necessary to accomplish that then who was she to interfere? Katara did seem to prefer a _confrontational approach_ when it came to Zuko. Besides, she was confident that Zuko wouldn't hurt Katara, and she was _fairly_ certain that Katara wouldn't seriously hurt Zuko; it was against the waterbender's nature to hurt people no matter how angry she was.

Katara dispensed with the formality of asking the younger girl how she knew about her assault on Zuko. Toph made it her business to keep tabs on the goings on in the temple, and they all knew that she constantly kept a foot out for juicy drama. "Some of us are busy taking care of everyone else all day and haven't had a lot of time to keep up with our training," she told the smaller girl tetchily, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe she was acting a bit irritable, but who could blame her? While the others were off sharpening their battle skills and making plans and dancing with dragons, she was stuck cooking their meals and washing their dishes and giving Aang redundant waterbending lessons where he wouldn't even fight her seriously. "Besides, Zuko agreed to help me out." She put a hand on the Zuko's shoulder for emphasis, even though Toph couldn't see it.

If anything, her bout with Zuko served to stoke her warrior spirit. Since becoming a master waterbender, she'd begun noticing small changes in herself and in her bending, such as how she no longer struggled to learn new techniques; how she could suddenly command much greater quantities of her element with little effort; how her body seemed to know just how to move without her having to think about it; how there was a _restlessness_ in her that she couldn't explain, but that niggled just below the surface every time she used her bending in battle. During her fight with Zuko that restlessness had intensified. It was like a switch was flipped, and suddenly her all she could think about was matching her skills against his.

Toph's lips pulled up into a small smirk and she muttered, "I'll bet he did." Katara raised an eyebrow at her and then looked at the Fire Prince but his face was turned away.

"I guess I'll just have to watch you then, make sure nothing goes wrong in your little duel. You don't mind, do you?"

She got the impression Toph really didn't care if she minded. She removed her hand from Zuko's shoulder so that she could cross her arms again. "We don't need supervision, Toph. It's just going to be a... a friendly, recreational spar."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Right, like the one you had yesterday?"

Zuko glanced worriedly between the two females. From what he'd learned over the last couple weeks, baiting Katara wasn't advisable. He was relieved and a little surprised when the dark-skinned water maiden just huffed exasperatedly and said "Fine. If it will make you happy, you can watch."

The young earthbender grinned smugly, and Zuko wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

oO0Oo

Toph "observed" from her rock as the Avatar's other two teachers took bending positions across from each other on the open part of the platform in front of the fountain. She was intrigued by the new developments in their normally caustic relationship. There had been much confusion at dinnertime the previous evening when instead of joining them like usual, Katara scurried off to eat with her sworn enemy. In his room. She hadn't actually told them that was where she was going, but nobody could come up with a better explanation as to where she would go with two bowls of rice and more meat than she could possibly finish by herself. The others figured she must finally be warming up to Zuko. She had said the two of them came to an understanding, after all. She was probably bringing him his dinner to make up for all of her unfriendliness. Toph didn't deny that the Katara's attitude toward the reformed prince had changed, but she doubted that whatever was going on between them was that simple.

"So how're you guys planning on doing this, exactly?" she called from her perch. "First one knocked off their feet? Shoved out of bounds? This isn't a fight to the death I hope."

Katara paused to considered the question. She hadn't actually thought about it. When she and Zuko had fought in the past, the goal had always been to put each other out of commission in order to protect/capture Aang. How would they fight now that they weren't trying to hurt each other? She had sparred with plenty of Master Pakku's students in the Northern Water Tribe, but those matches always ended with the other party surrendering after being throughly humiliated by her and she highly doubted that was going to happen with Zuko. If there was one thing she'd learned about him during the past half year, it was that he would always get back up no matter how many times you knocked him down. He was also far stronger and more skilled than those wimps at the North Pole.

"When we fought in the past we normally aimed to incapacitate each other," Zuko vocalized what she was thinking. "At least, that's what I did." He looked to for affirmation and she nodded in agreement.

"That may've worked just fine when you were enemies, but you're not trying to take each other out this time." Toph pointed out. "You're bigger and physically stronger than Sweetness here, so it'll be harder for her to take you down without having to injure you."

"Injuries don't actually stop this idiot," Katara informed her dryly. Zuko didn't appear to be bothered by the comment.

"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked the small earthbender.

"I'd suggest that you pick something to fight over," she replied, absently flicking a piece of dirt from under her fingernail. "Earth Rumble tournaments sometimes have special matches called "grabs" where a trophy is placed on a raised pillar in the middle of the ring and competitors have to fight each other for it. The match goes to whoever "grabs" the trophy. There's always a clear winner and you don't necessarily have to harm your opponent."

"So what you're saying is that we should turn this into a game?" Katara asked dubiously. It seemed like their simple training exercise was turning into an event. She really didn't mind getting a little roughed up; it's not like pounding each other into the ground was unusual for them.

"Look, it's your fight, you can do it however you want. Just remember that Aang won't be too happy if one of you ends up getting hurt."

Again, the short earthbender made a valid point. If Aang knew they were even fighting he would probably try to stop them. That thought irritated Katara, because she bet that if it were anyone else fighting Zuko he'd be okay with it. Ever since the invasion, she felt like the young Avatar had been treating her like she was made of glass. She appreciated his concern for her wellbeing, but she was beginning to feel as if he thought she couldn't handle herself in battle. Toph's idea made sense, but the point of this match was to train for actual combat where she would be fighting her enemies directly, not competing for some trinket on a pedestal. Maybe if there was a way to use Toph's idea without taking the focus off of her opponent...

Zuko, who had been watching Katara as she pondered, was caught completely off guard when the lovely waterbender's expression suddenly brightened and she turned to him and said excitedly, "Zuko, what if we grab something of each other's?"

"W-What?" he stuttered, shocked and intrigued in equal measures. He noticed Toph smirking out of the corner of his eye and fought to compose himself. There ought to be a limit on the number of times a person could blush in a twenty-four hour period.

Katara elaborated on her idea, entirely unaware of her Zuko's flustered state. "We can pick something on each other to be the "trophy", like your dagger or something, and whoever steals the other's trophy first wins."

Zuko let out a breath of relief and considered her idea. It made sense. If they pretended that their trophies were their lives it actually made a pretty good analogy for real battle – take your enemy's life; protect your own – but he immediately noticed an issue with her plan. She had suggested his knife as a trophy, which would work fine for her, but as far as he was aware she didn't carry many filch-able accessories. There was her necklace of course, but he doubted she'd ever allow him to touch it again. He highly doubted she'd forgiven him for trying to use it to bargain for Aang's freedom. Furthermore, removing her necklace would be far easier than finding and pilfering his knife, which he kept very well concealed. In the spirit of fairness, it made more sense for their trophies to not to be so vastly different from each other.

He must have been taking too long to respond, because Katara frowned at him and said, "Well? Does his illustrious highness disapprove?"

"No, not at all," he hurriedly denied. "I was just thinking about the trophies. It occurred to me that having our trophies be different items might give one of us an unfair advantage, so it would probably be better if we make them as similar as possible."

Katara hmm'd a hand to her chin in thought. She looked down at herself and then at him, and Zuko shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "We don't have anything that's similar," she said at last.

"You're both wearing belts aren't you?" Toph pointed out with a cheeky grin.

This idea was swiftly and adamantly vetoed by Katara. "He is NOT removing my belt."

The conversation was quickly becoming awkward again so Zuko took a mental inventory of the things he was carrying with the hope that one them would solve their problem. In the interest of traveling light, he kept only a small assortment of necessities on his person; his knife, a few bandages, money... _money_! He always kept a few Fire Nation gold pieces with him just in case he was separated from his travel bag. He fished two coins out of the hidden pocket stitched into the lining of his tunic and tossed one of them to Katara, who caught it out of reflex. She looked down at her hand and then up at him questioningly. He held up the other one and said, "We can use these. They're easy to carry and they're exactly the same size and shape, which solves our problem."

"Zuko, is this gold?" she asked him, looking back down at the piece of metal in her hand.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Do you always carry this much money?"

He was about to open his mouth and say that it wasn't that much money, but then he remembered that these people were not Fire Nation nobility and probably didn't see such large coins very often. It was funny, now that he thought of it, that even though he'd been poor and starving just a couple of months ago he'd re-acclimated to having the vast wealth of the royal family at his immediate disposal quite quickly. "It's good to be prepared," he said instead.

"Don't let Snoozles find out or he'll wanna bring you shopping with him," Toph joked. She hadn't forgotten the last time they'd had extra money – from her scams –. Sokka had immediately gone about finding ways to spend it. Speaking of purchases, Hawky had probably arrived in Gaoling by now. She wondered how her parents had reacted to receiving a missive from a Fire Nation messenger hawk. She almost wished she could've been there. Almost. "You don't want that. Hours of perusing through useless trinketry."

Zuko's shoulders sagged and he looked up at the ceiling with a world-weary expression. "My uncle is exactly the same."

Katara now had yet another interesting tidbit to add to her mental file on Zuko's uncle. But as interesting as that was, they still had a match to fight and she would not be distracted any further. She cleared her throat to get their attention and said, "I think we've wasted enough time already. If there are no other issues then I'd like to get started."

oO0Oo

Zuko watched warily as Katara reassumed her bending stance. She had been surprisingly friendly to him all morning, which was great, but part of him wondered if her tune would change now that she was in a position where she could hurt him and make it look like an accident. He knew it was an awful thing to think about her, especially when she was making an effort to be more accepting of him – it was also highly unlikely, if the way she reacted to having hurt him in their last fight was any indication – but he couldn't help being mistrustful of others. He had been betrayed too many times in his sixteen years – by his father, his sister, his country – and now his faith in people was pitifully frail. He shook his head to banish those thoughts. He was such a hypocrite. How could he ask Katara to trust him when he couldn't even allow himself to trust her.

He saw her slip her coin into a small pocket on the underside of the larger of her two water skins and he tightened his grip around his own.

"Ready?" Toph called from her perch, lifting her right hand into the air. She'd declared herself their official referee. Zuko sank into his own stance and prepared "Fight!" The over-enthusiastic earthbender swung her arm down and the match was officially on.

Without moving from her spot, Katara immediately began drawing water from the fountain and Zuko tensed in anticipation of her attack, but instead of striking right away like he expected, she continued to gather her element, winding it through the air around her in long streams. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but he wasn't going to wait and find out. He darted forward, effortlessly calling a flame to his unoccupied hand. If he was lucky, he could break her concentration and pilfer her coin in one strike. It would be a short match, but an actual adversary wouldn't dally. They would go straight for the kill. Katara wanted a realistic fight and Zuko was determined to give her one.

He was surprised when his feet suddenly slid underneath him, and he was forced to leap to the side to avoid losing his balance. He glanced down mid jump and saw a wide layer of ice coating the floor like a moat around the waterbender. She'd been distracting him with her waterplay while she discreetly laid her trap, knowing that he'd rush her. Tricky girl. Landing a meter or so from the edge of her slippery protective circle, he looked back at her and was surprised once again when she looked him in the eye and smiled sweetly. His confusion was such that he was unprepared when she flung her arms forward and sent a powerful burst of water barreling into his chest. He was knocked to the floor in much the same manner as when he'd offered to be the Avatar's prisoner.

He scrambled to his feet, pushing his dripping hair out of his eyes just in time to see Katara racing away into one of the corridors that lead further into the temple. He watched her disappear around a corner and narrowed his eyes, wondered what she was playing at. Wasting no more time, he took off after her. She could run all she liked, but he would catch her. He'd chased her and her friends all the way across the world, after all. Finding her in an Air Temple would be all too easy.

Toph felt the pair sprint off into the temple proper and huffed at their antics before hopping off her rock and tailing after them. When people talked about following a match, she didn't think this was what they meant.

oO0Oo

Zuko sprinted down yet another corridor, knowing his quarry had come this way. Normally he would have caught up to by now, but the passages in this part of the temple were like a maze, and he had a feeling that she was using the natural water running through the walls to guide her. Air Nomad architecture was really quite something. In order to truly live in harmony with nature, the monks had built their temples such that they wouldn't interfere with the natural flow of energy around them, meaning preexisting ecological features, including underground waterways, had remained largely untouched. Zuko only knew this because it had come up in one of his uncle's many sermons about harmony and balance. He had expatiated upon on how incredible the Air Nomads had been to live in balance with the world around them and how the years and years they devoted to meditation made them masters at controlling their chi, and that even though they were such powerful benders they never used that power for destruction. Zuko was ashamed to admit that the only thing running through his head when his uncle said all this was _if airbenders were so bloody amazing then why are they all dead?_

He rounded another corner and spotted Katara running up a flight of stairs. She glanced back over her shoulder, and upon seeing him gaining ground she picked up the pace. Zuko growled in his throat launched a series of fireball up at her as he reached the foot of the stairs. She avoided the attacks and cleared the top, darting off to the side where he couldn't see her. He made it to the top a moment later and gripped his coin tighter in his fist in case she was waiting to ambush him, but when he looked around he saw no sign of her. He sighed. She wasn't making this easy for him, that was for sure.

The room he was in now was quite large, but as depressingly empty as the rest of the temple. Sunlight streamed in from an archway on one of the walls that likely lead onto one of the long platforms on the outsides of the pagodas where he sometimes trained Aang. The opposite wall was lined with old doors leading to who knows where. Zuko really had no idea where he was anymore, but he was willing to bet that Katara didn't either. He quickly considered his options. She may have taken one of the doors, which would be a smart move if she were trying to lose him, but despite all her running, he didn't think losing him was truly her goal. She had to get his coin if she wanted to win, and she wouldn't be able to do that if she kept escaping from him. All things considered, he had a strong feeling that she'd taken the archway exit

This was certainly unlike any spar he'd ever participated in before, but he had to admit that he'd begun to enjoy himself. His heart was beating fast, pumping adrenaline through his body. The thrill of the chase sparked excitement in his blood, and at that moment he felt very alive. He wondered if Katara was feeling the same way right now; if being pursued by him affected her the way pursuing her affected him. That thought only excited him further.

He stepped out into the bright sunlight and was immediately tackled to the floor by a flurry of blue and brown. He found himself staring at the vast blue sky with his back pressed to the sun-warmed stone and struggled to orient himself while the waterbender sat herself on his legs and grabbed his hand. He realized belatedly that she was trying pry it open to get to his coin. He tightened his grip and pulled his arm away from her over his head. Katara made a frustrated noise and leaned forward, extending herself over him to reach his hand. He responded by stretching it further behind him to keep it out of her reach. The result was her flattening herself on top of him in order to maximize her reach, and it wasn't long before Zuko's brain registered the position they were in; the waterbender's soft body pressed flush against his own, their chests and hips in alignment. It wasn't like she was being still either; squirming and dragging herself up along him in her attempt to close the distance between their extended hands.

If you told thirteen-year-old Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation that he would one day find himself flat on his back with a waterbender pressed intimately against him, he would scoff at you.

If you told sixteen-year-old Banished Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation that he would one day find himself flat on his back with the Avatar's waterbender pressed intimately against him, he would punch you in the face.

If you told sixteen-year-old Traitor Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation that he would one day find himself flat on his back with _Katara_ pressed intimately against him, he would blush awkwardly and tell you that you were crazy.

Right now, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation needed to calm down and focus, because he was flat on his back with Katara pressed intimately against him, and she was being very very distracting. He reminded himself that they were in the middle of a match and he should be focusing on that, not the distinctly female waterbender on top of him. That thought in mind, Zuko took a breath and threw her off him, careful to not send her over the edge of the platform. She squealed a bit in surprise but he didn't give her time to recover. He stashed the coin in his hippari and summoned a ring of fire around them so that she wouldn't be able to escape again, then he lunged for the pocket on her water skin where she'd placed her own coin. He barely grazed it with his fingers before the contents of that water skin were brought out in an attempt to push him back. He grabbed her wrists, disrupting her bending and causing the water she'd been controlling to come splashing down around them, a good amount of it hitting his flames with a hiss and evaporating.

"You're running out of water," he taunted, standing up with her wrists still firmly grasped his hands and then pulling her to her feet, positioning them so that her back faced the platform's edge. He let the fire around them die, not needing to keep it going now that he had her in his grasp.

"Are you going to save me from the pirates?" she asked, drawing his attention down to where his long, pale fingers encircled her wrists, just as they had on that night so many months ago. He knew she hadn't forgotten about that.

In response, he leaned in close to her, staring into her impossibly blue eyes, and with a small smirk he said, "Go jump in a river."

She returned his smirk. "You first."

Zuko was unprepared for her sudden movement, and in a single instant she managed to swing him around and push him over the edge of the platform.

oO0Oo

You've reached the end of chapter six!

I'm so so so sorry this one took so long. I've been so busy with school. But guess what? I'm done! I just finished my last final yesterday, and and I'll be graduating on Monday. I'm free! (kind of)

Anyway, I made this chapter extra long to make up for the delay. It took me a few days to edit this and there are still parts that I'm not happy with, but I'm tired of beating that horse and just want to move on.

So this chapter was mostly devoted to developing the relationship between Zuko and Katara. I wanted to incorporate a bit more of Zuko's POV because I feel like I've neglected him a bit. We also got a larger dose of Tophage to mix things up a bit.

These last few chapters as well as the next couple are setting up for the plot to come. We still have a lot to cover in this fic.

Next chapter: A dream is a wish your heart makes!


	7. Super Smash Benders  Brawl

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Seven

Super Smash Benders - Brawl

He was falling.

Zuko's eyes were wide with shock as he fell away from the platform. Katara leaned out over the edge to watch him plummet to his death, and he stared at her face in hurt and confusion. He knew this could happen, but still he couldn't believe she had really done it. He thought they were finally beginning to get along. Wasn't his destiny to help the Avatar bring peace to the world? Was he really going to die here? He saw Katara smile. She looked... _amused_? Her lips moved, and though he couldn't hear her over the air rushing past his ears, he saw her mouth form two words that he understood clearly and immediately: _trust me_. Then she pointed down.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Sokka returned to his room to fetch his sword. Since Toph was booting Zuko out of that afternoon's training slot, the cranky firebender now had time to indulge him in a good old fashioned sword spar. Sokka hadn't practiced much since their return from the Boiling Rock, and he was pretty sure Zuko hadn't either.<p>

He made his way back to the common area and plopped down next to the wooded washtub Katara always used to wash their dishes after meals. Surely his sister wouldn't mind him borrowing a bit of her water to clean his precious space sword. Looking around, he noticed that all of the benders, save Haru and Chit Sang, seemed to have disappeared while he was gone. Whatever, they were probably doing some special Avatar training thing. He laid the sword across his lap and pulled a polishing cloth from inside his tunic, then he set to work running it up and down the blade. When he was satisfied with the state of the blade, he wet the cloth, preparing to move on to the hilt. He heard footsteps approaching and looked up when his father sat down next to him. "Hey dad, what's up?"

"Sokka," the older man greeted, "I hope I'm not interrupting. I wanted to talk to you about something, or more accurately, someone."

"Dad, it's really okay. I don't need any advice about my relationship with Suki," he said quickly.

Hakoda gave his son an amused look. "I was actually hoping you could tell me a little about your friend Zuko."

"Oh, what about him?" Sokka asked, returning to his polishing.

"Why don't you start by telling me how you and your friends met him."

"I wish to know as well," Chit Sang announced in his deep timbre, joining them on the floor. "Our Prince's actions have sparked a lot of interest among the citizens of the Fire Nation. The rumors permeate even the Boiling Rock."

Sokka wondered for the first time just how far Zuko's reputation preceded him. It hadn't really occurred to him that the Fire Nation might actually care what their prince got up to. He turned back to his dad and said, "We actually met when Katara and I were still at the South Pole, just after we found Aang. He was searching for the Avatar. And let me tell you, he was a super big jerk about it."

"Oh?"

Sokka unconsciously waved around the hand holding the cloth in ire as he said, "He destroyed my wall! Crashed right into it with that stupid smelly ship of his."

"Did he now?" Hakoda raised both eyebrows at this.

"Then, get this, he grabs Gran Gran by her parka – I know, right? – and he tells everyone in the village that he's looking for the Avatar, who he said should be about as old as her. I don't think Gran Gran was too happy about, that since, you know, the Avatar hadn't been seen in a _hundred years_. I mean, Gran Gran's old, but she's not **that** old. Then he took off with Aang in his ship and me and Katara went after them on Appa - who I TOTALLY believed could fly the whole time - and tried to rescue him, but Aang pretty much took care of that by himself, and we spent the rest of the winter dodging him all the way to the North Pole."

Chit Sang shook his head in disapproval at his prince's treatment of an elderly woman. Hakoda's eyes were wide as he processed his son's almost unbroken account. "Well that sounds very... exciting," he said for lack of better words.

"He was a giant pain in our rear during those months," Sokka started to elaborate. He paused to wave to Suki, who had been demonstrating some fan moves for Haru and Teo and The Duke across the room, and the four of them came over to join the conversation. Sokka put an arm around his girlfriend and continued, "He set fire to Suki's village when he found out we were staying there."

"Oh, are you talking about Zuko?" Suki asked.

"Yes, Sokka was just telling us how you all met him," Hakoda told her. "So, he burned down your village?"

"Not completely, but he tried," she confirmed. "That's when I first met him. He and his men just barged right into town on komodo rhinos. He shouted for "the Avatar" to come out, but Aang didn't show up so he ordered his men to find him. Apparently 'finding him' involved burning everything in sight. Not the best first impression."

"But you've forgiven him for that now?" he asked.

"I was pretty miffed when I saw him again at the Boiling Rock," she admitted, "but he seems different now. Not at all like the haughty brat who invaded my town. Plus he helped Sokka rescue me and encouraged him to not give up on finding you which makes up for what he did, as far as I'm concerned." She smiled then, and added, "He even apologized to me. It was a lame and awkward apology, but I'll admit it was a little endearing."

"That's our Zuko," Sokka agreed, "Lame and awkward and a little endearing."

"I could say the same about you," Suki teased, poking his shoulder.

He frowned, affronted. "Excuse me! I am not lame or awkward, I'm charming and charismatic," he rebutted. "And I'm VERY endearing."

"Of course you are," she said, patting his hand.

"Don't patronize me!"

Hakoda smiled at their affectionate banter. It was obvious that the lovely warrior truly made his son happy. He turned to the three Earth Kingdom boys. "And how about yourselves? What do you think of Prince Zuko?"

The three of them glanced at each other uncertainly before Haru looked at him and said, "I was really surprised when we," he gestured to Teo and The Duke, "came back from exploring the temple and found him here. None of us had met him before that. The Fire Nation has done nothing but make our lives miserable so we were pretty suspicious at first – no offense," he said, turning to Chit Sang.

"None taken," the large man replied.

"But he's been very polite and well-behaved since he got here," the long haired earthbender continued, "And he seems to be doing a pretty good job of training Aang."

"The only one who really has a problem with him is Katara," Teo added. Haru and the Duke nodded in agreement.

"And why is that, exactly?" Hakoda asked. This was a point of particular interest to him, as well as his primary reason for asking about the boy.

"We don't really know," Haru confessed.

"I think something happened between them in Ba Sing Se," Sokka contributed. "Katara was trapped in a cave with him for a while right before the city was taken. Azula – you remember Zuko's crazy sister – infiltrated the palace while Aang and I were away and she locked Katara up underground. Beats me why Zuko was down there."

Hakoda furrowed his brow in concern. He didn't like the idea of his daughter trapped all alone with an enemy who was potentially dangerous and willing to inflict harm when it suited him. He opened his mouth to ask if she'd been hurt but Sokka seemed to sense his impending question.

"I don't know what all went on down there," he said, "Aang was the one who found them, so you might try asking him. But Katara wasn't hurt at all, and neither was Zuko, so I don't think they fought."

It relieved Hakoda greatly to hear that.

"Katara has only talked about it once; when Zuko first showed up here. She said something about him talking about his mother, and making himself seem like "an actual human being with feelings". I figured she was just sore about being duped by the enemy, but the level of animosity she's shown him, despite everything he's done for us since he arrived, makes me think that there's more to the story."

Suki lowered her eyes. She knew better than anyone how upset Katara was about Zuko's decision in Ba Sing Se. It had obviously hurt her friend deeply to have her trust betrayed, and she wished she knew what had happened to spark that trust in the first place.

Hakoda was reluctant to think ill of the boy after their encounter the previous day. He was clearly remorseful for his previous actions, and his desire to earn Katara's trust seemed genuine. However, he couldn't dismiss the possibility that it was all a ruse. It was dangerous and naïve to simply assume that a long-time enemy had suddenly seen the light and just leave it at that, and Zuko had proven himself capable of deceit in the past. "Tell me honestly, Sokka, should I be worried for my daughter's safety?"

Sokka looked him firmly in the eye and said as seriously as Hakoda had ever heard him, "He won't hurt her."

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Toph?" Aang called out, effectively breaking the tension, as he entered the common area. "I can't find her anywhere."

None of them had time to answer as the girl in question suddenly raced out onto the platform with a crazy grin on her face and yelled, "Incoming!"

"Incoming? What-" Sokka was interrupted when a person shaped mass of red and gold dropped from high above and landed in a roll not ten feet from where they sat. "Zuko!" he exclaimed, "What in La's name-" he was interrupted once again when Zuko threw himself to the side and who else but Katara landed in a graceful crouch in the spot the prince had just vacated.

Quick as lightning, Katara snatched the water from the washtub and hurled it at Zuko. The firebender flipped backward onto his feet to avoid the deluge and retreated a few yards, widening the gap between them. The group watched in stunned disbelief as Katara pulled the spilt water from the floor and combined it with water from her smaller skin to form two large whips which she lashed at him in rapid succession. Zuko spun around and shot his right leg high above his head in a fiery hook kick, his heal hammering into the first whip with a burt of steam before he brought it down and pivoted around to slam his left foot into the other whip with a powerful roundhouse. The impact sent water flying in every direction and even more steam billowing into the air.

Hakoda and Aang were the first to recover from their paralysis. Hakoda made to intervene but the Avatar beat him to it. "Katara! Stop! This isn't the answer!" he cried, running toward them. Neither bender appeared to hear him however, as they didn't shift their focus from each other in the slightest. The collective panic rose when Zuko conjured flames in both of his hands and charged toward Katara. Aang tried to jump in and stop him but was thwarted by Toph who sent him flying backward with a large chunk of rubble. Hakoda looked from the fallen Avatar to the blind earthbender with an expression of shock.

Katara met Zuko's charge with a small flurry of hastily formed ice daggers. The firebender lunged forward into a roll to avoid the projectiles and swept his leg out, knocking her feet out from under her and sending her toppling to the ground. Seeing Katara go down, Haru made his own attempt to interfere using his earthbending, but he too was taken out by Toph. Zuko made a grab for Katara's water skin but she caught him in the stomach with her foot and launched him away from her. He managed to stay upright thanks to his superior balance, but the effort it took gave Katara the opportunity she needed to scramble to her feet and tackle him to the floor.

Aang picked himself up and shot a useless glare at Toph. "Why did you stop me?"

"Can it, Twinkletoes. I'm trying to watch," she said, making a shooing motion with one hand. She had her feet planted firmly on the floor to maximize her bending radar and her face was set in an excited grin.

"Don't worry, Aang. I'm sure Toph wouldn't have stopped you if anything bad were happening, right Toph?" Sokka tried to reassuring his friend, but he sounded like he needed the reassurance just as much as Aang. Suki helped Haru to his feet, and they all looked on anxiously as their allies abandoned their elements and resorted to wrestling inelegantly on the floor.

"Just give up already!" Katara demanded, grabbing the back of Zuko's head and smushing his cheek into the stone.

"No way!" he ground out, grimacing from pressure on his head. He twisted his body around and wrapped his legs around her middle, giving him the leverage he needed to flip her body under his. He then tried to roll her onto her stomach so that he could access the pocket on her water skin but she kicked her right leg up and slammed it into his side, knocking him onto his back next to her with a grunt. He recovered quickly enough to sit up but that was as far as he got, because in the next instant Katara was on top of him once more, straddling his thighs.

She gave him a triumphant smirk and said, "You lose." Then, with the entire group watching, she deftly untied his belt and yanked open his hippari, exposing his chest and stomach

"Katara! What are you doing?!" Sokka shrieked, his eyes bugging out of their sockets as he watched his sister disrobe their former enemy. The others were in similar states of shock. Aang had his hands on his cheeks and a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Not now, Sokka!" she called, finally acknowledging her audience enough to respond as she batted away Zuko's hands. Getting fed up with his attempts to remove her, she planted her left hand on his chest and pushed down, forcing him to sacrifice one of his arms in order to remain upright. Now they were both down to one arm as she searched his clothes for the coin that would secure her victory. She caught a glint of gold from a well-disguised pocket in the lining of his shirt and grinned. "Aha!"

"You can't just force yourself on someone! That's molestation!" Sokka wailed. By this point, the whole group had gathered around the dueling benders. None of them knew quite how to handle the situation at hand. Toph was nearly beside herself as she fought to contain her mirth.

Zuko and Katara both froze upon hearing Sokka's exclamation. Zuko's cheeks turned pink, much to his silent chagrin, and Katara looked up at her brother with an expression of confusion. "Molestation? What are you talking about?"

"What else would you call this?" Sokka demanded, gesturing at them. What was he supposed to think when his sister was sitting astride a partially undressed young man and fighting off his attempts to remove her.

Katara scowled at him, although her cheeks had developed a bit of a tint as well. "What? No! You've got it all wrong! I'm not molesting Zuko. Tui, Sokka, how could you even think that?"

"Then what _were_ you doing, Katara?" her father asked, stepping forward to stare down at her in a way she found unnecessarily judging.

"Not you too, Dad!" she protested.

Just what kind of person did they think she was? She tried looking to the rest of her friends for support, but it was clear by their expressions that they were all of the same mind as her father and brother. She rolled her eyes and pulled the Fire Nation gold piece from Zuko's pocket, holding it up for everyone to see. "I was after this."

Sokka looked at her incredulously. "You were trying to steal his money?"

"No!"

"We were sparring," Zuko explained. He reached around her with his free hand to retrieved the other coin from her water skin and held it up as well. "The point of the match was to take each other's coin." He located Toph standing with a smug expression a bit behind everyone else and frowned at her accusingly. "I guess Toph didn't tell you."

Toph just shrugged. "What? It's not my job to keep everyone updated on your pastimes."

Sokka looked back and forth between her and the pair on the floor and then said with much exasperation, "So this was just some kind of whacky training exercise?"

Toph crossed her arms, her smirk still firmly in place. "Well it started as a relatively normal training exercise, but what can I say, when it rains it pours."

"A little warning next time would be nice!"

"I did warn you. I said "incoming" didn't I?"

"There won't be a next time," Aang announced with a hard expression. Looking down at Katara and Zuko he added, "You two shouldn't even have been sparring in the first place. Especially you," he declared, addressing the older boy.

"What? Why?" Zuko looked very confused.

"You could have burned her!"

"Aang, it's fine. He won't hurt me," Katara cut in with obvious irritation. She knew this would happen. Really, she hadn't a clue what was making her young friend act so protective lately. He never cared this much when she fought Zuko in the past.

Aang looked at her and his expression softened. "Don't get me wrong, it's good that you trust him, but people make mistakes-"

"Trust him?" she interrupted, suddenly angry. She used the hand still resting on Zuko's chest to push herself to her feet – ignoring his protests – and rounded on the Avatar. "Don't make me laugh. I don't trust Zuko not to hurt me, I trust my own skills to keep me safe."

Zuko winced internally at her scathing remark, but managed to keep the hurt out of his voice as he said, "This is war, Aang. People get hurt. Better it be by me now than an enemy on the battlefield."

"But-"

"He's right, Aang," Toph cut him off. The reality that any one of them could be hurt, or even killed, in this war was a hard pill to swallow, and none of them liked to talk about it, but even so, it wasn't something that should be ignored, and Aang needed to understand that. "Besides, we all signed up for this. Katara knows the risks as well as any of us."

Aang looked down, clearly unhappy but unable to argue. Katara's ire melted away upon seeing the troubled look on his face and she stepped toward him. "You don't need to protect me," she said gently, putting her hands on his shoulders comfortingly. "I'm a master waterbender. I can look out for myself."

He was silent for a few moments as he just stood there with his head bowed, staring down at his feet, then finally he said, "I know, but I want to."

Katara smiled at him fondly and leaned down to wrap her arms his shoulders affectionately. He really was a sweet kid.

Hakoda watched his daughter comfort the Avatar and was reminded strongly of his beloved wife. Katara and Kya were so alike; both of them strong, brave, fiercely protective women who were at the same time nurturing and deeply caring. His little girl was going to be a wonderful mother someday.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Zuko pick himself up off the floor, the belt for his tunic dangling from one of his hands. The prince's attention was focused on his daughter and the young avatar, and as Hakoda watched, a small, almost tender smile appeared on the young man's face.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>It was very late. Katara wandered through the silent, open air corridors of the temple, her path illuminated only by the pale light of the waxing moon peeking out over the top of the far side of the chasm. The tall support pillars lining the halls cast long shadows across the stone walkway, and she made a game of hopping them as she passed, imagining that the darkness would swallow her up if she touched it. The absolute stillness around her made her feel like she was the only living thing in the temple. It was like she and this place existed on an entirely different plane from the realm of day. She arrived at the fountain, and though she could barely make it out in the darkness, the sound of her element was like an old friend greeting her in this uncanny realm of night.<p>

She walked out to the edge of the platform and looked up at the brilliant, nearly full moon. As if responding to the celestial orb, that familiar restlessness rose within her. She felt Tui's pull more keenly than ever before. The spirit of the moon was calling her, and that was a call Katara couldn't resist. She found the path leading to the surface and climbed until the Air Temple lay hidden beneath her feet. Above ground, she could see the endless sky stretched out over her head, littered with countless pinpricks of light. Across the gaping chasm, appearing closer than Katara had ever seen it, hung the pregnant moon; the symbol of her people.

She stepped to the edge of the cliff and gazed up at it, wondering why it looked as restless as her. On a whim, she pulled the Fire Nation gold piece from inside her tunic held it up next to the moon. The coin wasn't round, but the way the light caught it reminded her of the sun. Somehow, seeing the two side by side like this calmed her.

Katara blinked when a pale, feminine hand appeared before her, its fingertips resting lightly on the edge of the coin. Her eyes traveled past a delicate wrist, and as she followed the connected arm, a full spectral form materialized in the air in front of her, her alabaster robes billowing out around her as though she were submerged in water. Katara's eyes widened. "Yue..." she breathed.

Yue smiled, her long glowing hair floating around her lovely face. "_Katara_," she greeted. Her lips formed the syllables, but her voice seemed to echo from within Katara's mind rather than through her ears. "_It's wonderful to see you again._"

Katara returned her smile, happy to see her friend as well. "Were you the one who called me?"

Yue shook her head. "_You share a special bond with the moon. You were lead here by the turmoil in your own heart._"

"The turmoil in my heart?"

The former princess didn't answer. Instead she took the gold piece from Katara's hand and examined it closely. When she was done, she looked up and smiled mysteriously, then she took the waterbender's hand and pressed the coin into her palm, closing her fingers around it securely. Katara wanted to ask her what she meant, but Yue began speaking again. "_Tui and La have been watching your journey. They are very pleased by all that you have accomplished, and proud that such an extraordinary daughter of the Water Tribes is helping to guide the Avatar on his quest._"

"They are?" Katara he had no idea the spirits even knew who she was, much less held any kind of interest in her. She was honored beyond words. Traveling with the Avatar had allowed her to meet several spirits, however the only one who had ever acknowledged her was the Painted Lady in Jang Hui.

Yue reached down and grasped both her hands, then she leaned forward and gazed directly into her eyes. "_You have done the spirits a great service, Katara. Because of you, the wheels of fate have begun to turn once again._" She then gave Katara's hands a light squeeze and started to pull away, and somehow Katara knew that her friend was leaving.

"Yue, wait!" she cried. She had so many questions. What was the 'great service' she had done? Why were the moon and ocean spirits interested in her? What was causing these feelings of restlessness inside of her?

"_You have the chance to achieve a glorious destiny. Don't let it get away._"

Yue's form began to disappear, and Katara lunged for the princess' hand just as she vanished. Too late, she realized that her lunge had taken her over the edge of the cliff. She twisted her body around and shot her arm out, hoping to find purchase on a root or a protruding rock, but lady luck was facing the other way.

As she fell toward the darkness below Katara screwed her eyes shut, not wanting the last thing she ever saw to be the ground coming up to meet her. The only lucid thought amidst the wave of terror flooding her brain was, funnily enough, that now she knew how Zuko felt when pushed him off of the platform that morning. If by some miracle she survived this, she should really apologize for that.

Suddenly, her body lurched and she gasped. Her eyes shot open, but the darkness around her was so great that it made little difference. It took a few seconds for her brain to orient itself, but when it did she realized with tremendous relief that she was lying in her bed, safely inside the temple, and not, in fact, splattered all over the bottom of the canyon. She sat up slowly, her muscles shaky from all the adrenaline pumping through her system. She moved to run a hand through her hair and felt something drop into her lap. She immediately froze, heart pounding in her chest. Her still-jumpy mind conjured up all kinds of ridiculous and irrational ideas about the identity of the thing resting on top of her blanket, and she resolved to wait for her eyes to adjust to the dark before moving even a single muscle. When the thing remained unmoving a few moments later, and her vision had improved at least somewhat, she hesitantly picked up the offending object. She promptly exhaled the breath she'd been holding; it was just Zuko's coin. Now that her brain was once again receiving oxygen, she remembered that she had been examining it as she sat in bed. She recalled thinking that she needed to return it to him, but the memory stopped there. She must have fallen asleep with the coin still in her hand.

It was just a dream. Climbing to the top of the temple, talking to Yue, plummeting to her death; all nothing but a bizarre series of events cooked up by her subconscious. Katara had calmed down considerable, and now she felt drowsiness setting in again. Too tired to get out of bed and put the coin on her table, she simply shoved it under pillow where it wouldn't get lost. She then rolled onto her side and promptly fell back to sleep.

She failed to notice that she never actually removed her hand from beneath the pillow, or from around the coin.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>You finished chapter seven! Huzzah!<p>

We saw a bit more of Hakoda in this chapter. I thought it would be good for him to see what a skilled warrior his daughter has become and learn a little more about the boy who is so obviously (to Hakoda) taken with her.

As always, thanks for all of your great reviews! My chest just swells up with pride when I read them. My step-dad is always joking that all of my reviewers are just bots trying to sell me viagra and fake rolex watches. (I swear, with the amount of viagra spam I get in my junk folder it's a wonder I haven't grown a penis).

Next chapter: Hide and seek!


	8. Spy and Fly

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Eight

Spy and Fly

When Katara awoke again, her room was filled with sunlight and she could already feel the heat of the day in the air. She stretched and got out of bed to perform her morning routine. A quick glance out her window told her she had slept in quite a bit later than usual, and she wondered if the others had resorted to killing each other out of hunger yet.

When she arrived in the common area she was surprised to see everyone already sitting in a circle around the cook pot with bowls in their laps. Aang noticed her first and waved her over with a chipper "Morning, Katara". She sat down next to him and was handed a bowl full of some sort of gooey-looking, sesame seed-spotted rice dish covered in an unfamiliar white sauce and chunks of pineapple.

"Um, thanks. What is it?" she asked.

"It's called sweet rice. Suki made it," Sokka announced with pride, putting an arm around his girlfriend.

Katara brought a spoonful to her nose and sniffed it experimentally. It certainly smelled sweet. She took a tentative bite. Despite its questionable appearance, it was warm and soft and actually quite delicious. "Wow, Suki, this is really good," she praised.

Suki smiled at the compliment. "Sweet rice is a pretty common dessert in the Earth Kingdom. We had all the ingredients so I thought I'd make it for everyone, although this is actually a Fire Nation variation. It's pretty much the same as the Earth Kingdom's, except here they make it with coconut milk and the cooking processes is a bit different. I needed a little help heating the sauce correctly, but I think it turned out rather well."

"It turned out splendid," Chit Sang assured her, shoveling a large spoonful into his mouth with gusto.

"So Chef Chit Sang was offering lessons again? I missed out," Katara joked.

Suki chuckled. "Actually, Zuko was the one who taught me."

Katara's eyebrows raised and she looked over at the other firebender, who was sitting quietly next to Toph. "You cook?"

He looked back at her and shrugged. "Not really. I can only make a few things."

It surprised her that he had ever even touched a pan. She wanted ask him what else he could make, but Aang chose that moment to get everyone's attention. Apparently he had an announcement.

He smiled widely and told them that he and Toph had been discussing his training during their practice yesterday and they'd decided that it was time to add a little variety to his lessons. Toph had pointed out that in order to use the other elements effectively, he needed to be able to utilize the broader range of capabilities they provided. In other words, he had to learn to use the elements more creatively. He then said that they'd brought this up with Sokka, since he was their idea guy – Sokka puffed out his chest proudly at this – and he'd come up with a great and really fun-sounding way to do that, but he'd need everyone's help.

Katara was pleased to see Aang showing such enthusiasm for his training and quickly said, "What do you need us to do?"

Aang smiled widely at her and said that they were all going to play an old Air Nomad game called "spy and fly". He got a room full of blank looks when he said this.

"It's like their version of hide and seek," Sokka clarified, and there was a chorus of "Oh"s and various other noises of comprehension throughout the group. The only people who still looked confused were Chit Sang and Zuko.

"What's hide and seek?" Zuko asked.

"You don't know what hide and seek is?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"It's a group game where a everyone hides except for one person and then that person has to find them," Teo explained helpfully.

"You guys actually have a game a lot like it in the Fire Nation," Aang said, addressing both Zuko and Chit Sang. "I played it with a bunch of kids at a Fire Nation school. They called it hide and explode."

"Ah yes," Chit Sang said with a broad grin. "An excellent game."

Zuko's face showed recognition as well, although he didn't react with the same fondness as the older man. "Oh, Azula and I played that once when we were kids. It was a month before I could tie my hair back again," he muttered grumpily, absently running a hand through his shaggy locks.

"Wow, really? At least your hair grows quickly," Aang supplied.

"It really does," Sokka agreed. "You went from Aang to Teo in like four months."

"I guess," Zuko said, "But that's not-"

"Did you have that silly scalplock ponytail thing as a kid?" Sokka cut him off, looking at his head scrutinizingly.

"No," he said, starting to get annoyed, "That was part of my banishment."

"Really? Then why'd you get rid of it?" Aang asked curiously.

"Guys! Focus," Katara scolded. Both Sokka and Aang had the decency to look abashed, and Zuko looked at her gratefully.

"Um, so anyway," Aang continued, "we're going to be playing spy and fly, which is like hide and seek, except that when you're found you're supposed to run away and try not to get caught. I'm going to be "it" and I have to use my bending to locate and capture all of you. My goal is to bring you back here," he gestured around himself, referring to the common area. "Fight me or try to escape from me when I find you, but if you end up here, you're out."

"And as an added bonus, whoever evades capture the longest gets a kiss from Katara," Toph contributed.

"What?" several voices cried out at once.

"I am not kissing anyone!" Katara declared, her face a picture of perfect outrage.

"Are you sure? The heartbeats I'm picking up right now suggest that there are quite a few people in this room who would be plenty happy to be kissed by you."

Katara blushed brightly. "Absolutely not!"

"Alright, alright, I was just teasing," Toph waved a hand in front of herself dismissively.

"So what do you guys think?" Aang asked, pulling the subject back on course, "With everyone playing I'll have lot's of different skill sets to contend with, and you have the entire Western Air Temple to hide in. It'll be the best game of spy and fly ever!"

"Hold on a minute Twinkletoes, you forgot an important detail," Toph chided. "Remember this isn't just a game. They need to know what they're signing up for."

"Oh, right," he rubbed the back of his head apologetically. Addressing the group again, he said, "This isn't just a bending exercise, it's also a test of stamina. There are ten of you and an entire temple to hide in, so the game could end up lasting a long time. You'll wanna be prepared, because once you're captured you won't get to leave this area until the game is over."

"Just how long is this going to take?" Suki asked, raising both her eyebrows wonderingly.

"He has until dawn tomorrow to capture us," Sokka answered for him.

His statement was followed by a long moment of silence while everyone digested this added bit of information, but Katara got the ball rolling by saying, "As long as I don't have to kiss anyone, I'm in."

"I _have_ been itching for a little excitement lately," Suki added with a determined smirk.

"Don't expect us to go easy on you," Zuko warned, also smirking slightly.

"You know Toph and I are in," Sokka declared, then he turned and looked at the others. "How about the rest of you?"

Teo exchanged a confident look with Haru and said, "I think we can hang in there for a little while at least." Chit Sang patted The Duke's shoulder supportively and announced that they were in as well.

"Dad?" Sokka asked, looking at the older warrior expectantly.

"As a warrior and a chief, it would be in bad form for me to back down from a challenge," he said simply. Then he looked at both his children and his mild expression was replaced by a confident, perhaps even cocky grin. "Whaddya say Sokka? Katara? Ready to show these yahoos how it's done?

Katara grinned right back. "You bet."

"Aw yeah!" Sokka pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically, but he retracted it with a yelp when a good sized chunk of stone went sailing by his head.

"Hey now, people. Don't underestimate the might of the Earth Kingdom," Toph announced, using her bending to juggle three more stones in the air in front of her. There were smirks and sounds of agreement from the other Earth Kingdom natives following her remark.

"Or the Fire Nation," Chit Sang spoke up, smiling widely. He looked at Zuko and the younger firebender nodded, meeting his large grin with a small, confident upturn of his lips.

Aang beamed at them all, delighted by the idea of the four nations participating in a little friendly competition.

oO0Oo

After breakfast they all went off on their own to prepare for the game. It was agreed that they would begin right after lunch, and Katara made extra food so that there would be plenty of leftovers to last them through dinner. When they were all finished preparing and their stomachs were full, they gathered by the fountain. Aang informed them that they would get a fifteen minute head start, then he would whistle to signal the beginning of the game. Upon seeing their skeptical looks, he assured them that the air-channeling design of the temple would guarantee that no matter where they were, they'd hear it.

"Alright everybody, you all know the rules, so good luck! Time starts now."

As soon as he finished, the ten of them rushed off in a flurry of excitement. Katara nodded to her father and brother and they each took off down separate corridors. They'd decided that it would be smartest to split up, so that if Aang went after one of them they wouldn't all be captured at once – don't put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes.

She took several random turns and side hallways in order to keep herself away from the areas she thought Aang would be most likely to search first. When she was confident that she would be safe for a little while at least, she paused to strategize. She considered the advantages Aang's bending would give him. He was a master airbender, meaning she should avoid the outer areas of the temple where she might be spotted from his glider. He had also been working on developing his seismic sense, although he was nowhere near as good as Toph. Still, if he got close enough he would be able to use it to pinpoint her position. If she was lucky, she might be able to elude him by covering the stone beneath her with ice. She wasn't too worried about his firebending for the moment, but it would help him get around more efficiently when night fell. Fortunately for them, using it would also make it easier for them to see him coming.

Unfortunately, her own bending put her at a disadvantage in this temple compared to the other benders in their group. Practically the whole place was made out of stone, so Haru and Toph would have protection wherever they went, and it was designed to allow wind to flow easily throughout the entire structure, meaning Aang had plenty of air to perform his more complex maneuvers. Zuko and Chit Sang could generate their own element, so they were also fine wherever they went. She, on the other hand, would have to stick close to water sources if she wanted to stand a chance against Aang – her water skins would only help her so much – and that would make her easier to locate. She was going to have to pick her poison: find a good hiding spot and hope Aang didn't discover her, or stick close to water and try to beat him back. She wasn't sure exactly how long it had been already, but she knew their grace period must be nearly up by now. Sure enough, a moment later she heard a loud whistle echo through the temple.

She wondered who would be the first to fall. Most likely The Duke, since he was so young and inexperienced. Although, the kid was pretty good at hiding – as she'd found when she tried to chase him down for a bath one night – so if he found a good enough spot he might be okay. Teo would have the most difficulty concealing himself, what with his wheelchair, but Katara was certain he had plenty of tricks and gadgets that would slow Aang down. Toph was probably going to be the hardest catch. Aang would have to be very creative if he wanted to get the jump on her. He tried every day, but he'd never succeeded.

Katara knew it was only a matter of time before Aang came to search her area. She needed to keep moving if she wanted to avoid being cornered by him. It would be nice if she had some idea of where he was right now. She didn't want to turn the wrong corner and find him right there waiting for her. She tried to think of where Aang would be least likely to look, and suddenly an idea came to her. Toph was forever accusing him of having his head in the clouds and not paying enough attention to the ground beneath his feet, and that was something that she could use to her advantage. He would more than likely search the upper areas of the temple first, so the best way to avoid him was to go down.

She set off in search of stairs, wishing she had invested more time into learning the layout of the temple. The only set of stairs she was really familiar with was the one that lead to the top of the cliff, and it didn't extend any further down than the floor she was already on.

She wondered where the others had chosen to hide and if any of them had been caught already. Suddenly she heard a loud crack and a shriek from somewhere above her, followed by high-pitched laughter. Sokka and Toph. Katara's heart rate sped up in alarm. It was obvious that Toph was just teasing her brother, but there was a good chance that Aang had heard them as well and was now on his way over to investigate. She needed to get out of there and quickly.

She picked up her pace. _'Stairs, stairs, stairs! Where are those stupid stairs?'_ she thought desperately. She nearly screamed when the wall opened up in front of her and a figure darted out. She let out a breath of relief when she realized it was just Haru. The mustached earthbender had a similar moment of panic when he noticed her standing there.

"Spirits, Katara! you scared the daylights out of me!" he said, holding a hand to his chest and grinning at her.

She returned his grin. "Me? You were the one who just popped out of the wall!"

The two of them giggled at the situation, both feeling a bit giddy from the scare. When they had calmed down a little she asked, "Have you seen Aang at all?"

"No, but I did run into your father a few minutes ago," he replied, pointing in the direction he'd just come from, "and he said that he saw Aang near the entrance to the library."

"Do you know if anyone's been caught yet?" she tried.

"I don't think so," he said, "but I'm not positive."

She nodded in understanding. "In any case, we should keep moving. We're both going to get caught if we stay here," she said, scanning the area around them cautiously.

Haru nodded in agreement. "I'm going to circle around towards the library. If Aang's already been there then he probably won't be back for a while."

"Smart idea," she said with a grin. "Well, good luck. Maybe we'll run into each other again." She turned to go, but he grabbed her arm. She looked back at him in surprise and curiosity.

"Teo hid noisemakers around the temple to keep Aang distracted," he told her seriously. "There are three different types and they've been set to go off at random intervals through the duration of the game. The first type makes a series of taps meant to sound like running footsteps, the second has a pendulum that will knock against the wall three times, and the third creates a small explosion with a distinct, gravely sounding report."

She smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks for the heads up, Haru."

He released her arm and nodded. "Hang in there."

The two of them parted ways, and not long afterwards Katara finally managed to locate a descending flight of stairs. Level by level, she slowly made her way down through the temple, committing the locations of the stairways to memory as she went. At one point, as she was passing by a window, she heard Aang's voice ring out through the canyon shouting "Gotcha!" from somewhere far above her. She wondered who he had caught. Hopefully not Sokka or her dad.

On one of the lowest levels she found a nice, concealed spot near where the temple met the cliffside and decided to park there for a while. The spot gave her an excellent view of the tips of the upside down pagodas and allowed her to hear a lot of what was going on up above. Laying low in the underbelly of the temple turned out to be a very wise decision, as during the next few hours she heard may loud crashes and three more triumphant cries from Aang, the most recent of which was followed by the dulcet sounds of Toph yelling, "Put me down, Twinkletoes! I'm warning you!" Katara was very intrigued by this turn of events. How had Aang finally managed to get the jump on the hardest to sneak-up-on person in the whole world? She would make sure to ask after the game.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>It was nearing the time that everyone typically gathered for dinner. Katara was beginning to feel a bit peckish, so she unpacked her leftovers from lunch and tucked into a less than stellar meal of cold rice and colder vegetable soup. As she ate, she watched the fluffy white clouds drift overhead and the sun travel slowly across the sky. She approximated that she had maybe an hour left until sunset. After that, she was going to have to rely on moonlight to get around.<p>

The thought of wandering the temple at night called to mind images from her dream, and she discovered, with great surprise, that she could remember nearly every detail. Whenever she'd tried recalling dreams in the past, all she'd ever gotten was a nonsensical mess of disjointed images and residual emotion. She and a few of the other girls in her tribe used to entertain each other and themselves by describing their dreams to one another and then trying to analyze what they meant. The analyses were usually silly things – dreaming about sea prunes shows that you have a subconscious thirst for adventure; dreaming about polar bear dogs means that you have a big fat crush on Bato; etc. – and the dreams they would describe were always full of large gaps and glaring inconsistencies. The dream she'd had last night was completely different though, and even though she hadn't thought about the dream at all until just now, she was able to recall every thought, every action, every sensation with startling clarity.

She pulled the gold piece from inside her tunic and held it in front of her face, admiring the way it shined in the sunlight. She'd been distracted by Aang's announcement that morning and had completely forgotten about returning it. She hoped Zuko didn't think she was some kind of money-grubbing crook. She tucked the coin back into her tunic, resolving yet again to give it back the next time she saw him.

Another victorious cry sounded above her. That made five. Assuming that every cry corresponded to a successful capture, that left only her and four others. Katara couldn't take it anymore. She was bored out of her mind waiting down here, and the desire to know who all had been caught was just too strong. She had to find out.

She shouldered her pack and set off through the innards of the temple, making her way to the part of the giant cliff where the common area was situated. She figured that if she could get below the common area, she might be able to catch some snippets of conversation and identify Aang's prisoners by their voices. As she walked she began to hear muffled conversation and knew she was getting close. Following the voices, she was led out onto a small, shaded platform. Looking up, she discovered that she had in fact come out directly underneath the common area.

She was too far down to understand what they were saying, but she immediately recognized one of the speakers as Sokka. She wasn't at all surprised that her brother had been caught. Sokka was many things, but stealthy wasn't one of them. The person he was talking to was definitely male, and from the tone she was fairly sure it was Teo. She once again bent herself an ear trumpet and began listening in right as Teo was speaking.

"–near the library. He said he'd seen your sister and your father."

"Really? Were they together?" Sokka's voice asked.

"I don't think so. Suki also saw your dad, near the east kitchens apparently, and she said he was alone. Hey, but you know Haru did say something about there being blood all over the floor in front of the library's water basin. Pretty strange considering how clean the rest of the temple is."

She paled. She'd been so distracted by Zuko's injury that she hadn't thought about the possibility of someone seeing the blood. Hopefully they would just chalk it up as a remnant from the Fire Nation invasion.

"It must be leftover from the attack. It's not like any of us have been hurt recently," Sokka said, but there was an odd quality to his voice. It was a tone he used when he wasn't being entirely truthful. Did he know about her fight with Zuko? She was doubly suspicious when he quickly steered the conversation back to their previous subject, saying, "So you saw Suki and Haru, and both of them have seen dad, but only Haru has seen Katara... has anyone seen Zuko?"

"I did. He was wearing your parka," Toph's voice piped in.

"What?! When did he-" there was a brief pause and then Sokka said dryly, "Oh ha ha, Toph. You're _hilarious_."

"You make it too easy."

There was a long period of silence after that, and Katara guessed they had run out of things to talk about. She was considering leaving and returning to her spot, but then she heard Sokka whine, "I miss Suki!" She smiled at that. It was a testament to how much her brother loved his girlfriend that he was moaning about her right now and not food.

"I miss my girl too," announced a deep, older voice that could only belong to Chit Sang.

"Oh, I remember her. She was pretty cute," Sokka said, and from the tone of her brother's voice, Katara imagined he was probably elbowing the larger man teasingly as he said this. "So? How did you meet her?" he asked slyly.

Chit Sang let out a rather dopy sounding sigh and said, "We first met when I was just a little older than you, about Prince Zuko's age, I'd say. She was younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen. Her family and my family had owned land next to each other for generations.

"Wait, you lived right next door to her but you never actually met her until you were sixteen?" Sokka interrupted.

"Why is that?" Teo asked curiously.

"Well, our families are bitter enemies, you see, and I was forbidden from associating with them. We met by chance one afternoon while I was working out in the fields near her family's property. She was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen, all done up in red and pink with a matching parasol, her hair shining in the sun. She looked every bit a nobleman's daughter, strolling through her Papa's garden as if the trees' and flowers' sole purpose was to be a backdrop to her beauty."

Katara felt herself begin to blush. She'd been under the impression that men preferred to be raunchy and crude when they discussed women, not talk about the shininess of their hair and compare them to flowers. Where could she find a man like this?

"Love at first sight, in other words," Sokka paraphrased.

"Indeed it was, and we continued to meet in secret for the next two years. It was quite the scandal." He said this proudly, as if he were boasting.

"Like Oma and Shu?" This time it was The Duke's small voice that spoke up.

"Exactly, but obviously we didn't get eaten by dragons."

"Dragons? That's not how the story goes," The Duke said, sounding confused.

"It isn't?" he asked skeptically. Katara imagined that the others shook their heads, because the next thing Chit Sang said was, "Oh. Well that's how it ends in the Fire Nation."

"I think I like your version better," Toph's amused voice contributed. "Eaten by dragons! Oh man, that's good." Toph _would_ like that version better.

"The Fire Nation adores tales of forbidden love," Chit Sang went on, "The more scandalous and romantic, the better. For example, about two hundred years ago the Fire Nation had a princess named Shuang – the best stories usually involve royalty – who fell in love with a young painter from a small rural village named Li Jing. Not only was Li Jing a peasant with nothing to his name, it turned out he was a sort of marauding vigilante. He would would sneak into the homes of corrupt noblemen and high-ranking officials at night and steal their gold, then he'd surreptitiously distribute it to the poor. Shuang learned of Li Jing's escapades and ended up becoming his partner in crime. They roamed the Fire Nation together for months, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, until her father, the reigning Fire Lord at the time, found out. He was so furious that he had Li Jing beheaded, but the story was so scandalous, and so romantic, that the town where Li Jing was born was renamed Shu Jing in honor of their love. Many of our towns are named that way."

Katara recognized that name. Shu Jing was the town where Sokka's sword instructor, Master Piandao, lived. She was sure Sokka would point this out, but instead he said, "Wow, who knew the Fire Nation was so big on scandals. I thought you people were all about honor."

"Not _scandals_, forbidden love," Chit Sang corrected. "It's just better if the love is scandalous."

Toph's was the next voice to speak, and she sounded decidedly cheeky as she said, "So then if Zuko, being a prince and all, were to have a sexy affair with, hmm, let's say _Katara_, would we get to name a town Zu Tara?"

Katara's eyes grew so wide, she was surprised they didn't pop right out of her skull. Just what was Toph suggesting?

Her question clearly intrigued Chit Sang, because he actually stopped to seriously consider it. "Given Prince Zuko's own history and your friend Katara's status as the last bender from the Southern Water Tribe which was raided and nearly destroyed by the Fire Lord's own army... add to that the fact that her national elemental is the polar opposite of ours, and that she is also the daughter of their chief... all on top of being the Avatar's waterbending teacher and a key player on the enemy side of the hundred year long war that our nation started... why, with a romance like that I bet you could rename the capital city itself."

"Sweet!" Toph exclaimed, "You hear that, Sugar Queen? If you get it on with Sparky, we get to rename the Fire Nation Capital!"

Katara was beside herself. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" she yelled up at the platform, her face burning from embarrassment. She should have known that Toph knew she was there!

There was pause and then Toph called, "Uh oh, you better run, Katara! I think Aang heard you!"

Katara mentally smacked herself. How stupid could she be? She'd fallen right into Toph's trap, and now Aang was after her. She quickly turned tail and ran back inside. She should have just sucked up her curiosity and stayed in her hiding spot, but at least she got what she came for. Sokka, Toph, Chit Sang, Teo, and The Duke seemed to be the only ones up there, meaning Suki, Haru, her dad, and Zuko were still in the game.

She hurried through the hallways, trying to get back to her spot, but she stopped in her tracks when she turned into another corridor and found Aang at the far end. He saw her right away and grinned from ear to ear. Oh, this was bad.

"I knew I heard your voice, Ka-"

She didn't wait for him to finish. She cheesed it.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. No way was she going to let herself be caught like this. With no time to think of a proper plan, she defaulted to the make-lots-of-random-turns-and-pray-to-Tui-you-lose -him tactic. She heard Aang's footsteps somewhere behind her but she refused sacrifice her speed to look back. If she could keep ahead of Zuko during their match, she was sure she could outrun Aang. She ducked into yet another hallway, and was confronted with a selection of near-identical passages to choose from. Not even pausing to think, she picked one at random, praying to whichever spirit might be listening that it wasn't a dead end.

To her utter dismay, the passage ended after a single turn, leaving her stranded in a musty old storage room. The room was filled with rows of stone shelves similar to those in the library, though nowhere near as tall, and the walls were lined with stone cabinets. Katara was glad to see that the wood of the cabinets' doors hadn't rotted or been burned away, and she hoped against hope that they were as person-sized on the inside as they looked from the outside. She quickly selected one that was situated more near the back of the room and yanked the door open, relieved to see that it was empty of both contents and shelves. Remembering to take into account Aang's earthbending senses, she lined the inside of the cabinet with ice before she crawled in. She barely managed to pull the door shut before Aang entered the room.

She half-hoped he would see that the room was empty and move on, but of course, he didn't. She had really only delayed the inevitable by hiding. Once he found her, her only hope would be to fight him and try to escape again, but with no nearby sources of water to pull from and little room to maneuver, she was as good as caught. With all the restlessness she'd been feeling lately she thought she would be more excited at the prospect of a fight, but it was as if her battle-lust had just dried up. Perhaps fighting Zuko again yesterday really had gotten it out of her system.

A cabinet door was opened nearby and her pulse quickened. The ice surrounding her had become painful on her exposed upper arms, but she remained perfectly still, her bag clutched tightly to her chest. She refused to give in until the very end. Another door opened, even closer this time, and she willed Aang to just give up and leave with her mind. Toph had invented metalbending. Maybe she could invent mindbending. The next door opened belonged to the cabinet next to hers, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her breathing. '_Go away, go away, go away_,' she chanted in her head. She heard his soft Fire Nation boots stop directly in front of her cabinet. This was it. Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps echoed from the direction of the hallway, startling her, and not a second later she heard Aang's footsteps as he sprinted away in hot pursuit.

Katara couldn't believe her luck. What were the chances that someone would be running by right as... then it dawned on her. Teo's noisemakers! Haru said that one of the types sounded like footsteps, and now that she thought about it, those steps _had_ been a little odd – the spacing was unnaturally even – but it worked, and she needed to take this opportunity to escape before Aang realized he'd been tricked.

She hurriedly bent the ice around her back into her skin and clambered out of the cabinet, pausing briefly to secure her bag over her shoulder before she set off, quickly but cautiously, back down the hall. She made it back to the place with all the passages but didn't see or hear Aang anywhere. She hoped that meant that he'd left and not that he was simply waiting somewhere to jump her. Rather than trying another mystery hallway, she elected to go back the way she'd originally come. She would find her way back to her spot, somehow, and bide her time until dawn. Or until Aang found her. Whichever came first.

The sun was beginning to set and the corridors were becoming dimmer. She wondered where her dad was. He and Suki were the only two nonbenders still in the game. Having just come from prison, neither of them had their preferred weapons, but what they lacked in battle-fans and implements of stabby death, they made up for with badassery, and she was sure that they were using every ounce of it to keep Aang off their trail.

She tried to remember which hallways she'd taken in her flight from Aang, but the fading light and lengthening shadows made every direction look foreign. Maybe she should just forget about finding her spot and go hide in her room. Aang would never think to look there, right? It almost seemed like a good idea, except for the fact that if Aang did look there, she would be solidly trapped. Maybe she should try to find one of the others. They all had a long night ahead of them after all, and they would probably have a better shot at survival if they worked together. The Northern Water Tribe may have a policy of political isolation, but the southern tribe was open to alliances.

The only problem was finding someone. If Aang couldn't find them, then what chance did she have? The temple was the size of a small city, and with only four others remaining and night fast approaching the probability of her chancing upon any of her friends was slim. She'd need some idea of where to look at least. Teo had said that Suki had seen her dad by the east kitchens, but she doubted that he'd still be there. He was their tribe's most skilled hunter; he knew the dangers of staying in one place for too long. Before he left to fight in the war, he used to tell her and Sokka, "A lionseal that suns bakes itself." She would have a better chance of being found by him. Suki could be anywhere by now. She was smart and resourceful, and Katara knew she had the sense to stay far away from wherever Aang was. It sounded like no one had even seen Zuko, but that didn't surprise her. He was a sneaky panther-shark after all.

That left Haru as her best bet. She could only hope that he was still in the library. As far as potential allies went, he wasn't a bad choice. He was loyal, and he'd had plenty of experience hiding from Fire Nation soldiers back when he was keeping his bending a secret. Although, when she thought about it, she and Aang and Sokka had discovered his secret without even trying, and then they tailed him all the way back to his house, so maybe it was more luck than skill. Regardless, working together was better than working alone, and she could use the company.

She hadn't really spent any significant amount of time with Haru since he met up with them on the day of the eclipse and she felt a little bad about that since she was the only one he'd really gotten to know out of their group, but she was just so busy worrying about Aang and the comet that she hadn't had a lot of free time to hang out with anyone. She felt doubly bad since she was fairly sure he had a bit of a crush on her. She knew that his father at least was hoping for them to get together – she could tell when she'd talked to him – but unfortunately she just didn't feel that way about Haru. It wasn't that he was unattractive or anything like that – although the mustache wasn't helping his cause – and she _had_ had a small crush on him when she first met him, but that hadn't lasted very long. He was sweet and nice for sure, but she had seen so much and met so many different people that she didn't think she could ever just settle down and live out the rest of her life in a rural Earth Kingdom village. Yes he was handsome, but a look from him didn't cause her to swoon the way a look from Jet had. His touch didn't send shivers down her spine or ignite fires in her belly or any of the sorts of things one reads in romance scrolls. Although perhaps those scrolls were a bit unrealistic, because she hadn't had shivers or fires with Jet either.

Just as the last light from the sun was disappearing, she finally located a stairway that she remembered coming down before. From here, she could easily find her way up through the temple to the library. She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't run into Aang again, and she hoped that meant that he was off in some other part of the temple.

Darkness has a way of putting one on edge, and despite being back in familiar territory her progress was painfully slow. She saw Aang in every shadow and heard him in every gust of wind that blew through the corridors. Stairwells were the worst, because they were long and narrow and had fewer windows to let in moonlight. By the time she reached the main floor she was so jittery that the large, open corridors that she'd avoided at first were a welcome sight. She passed by the fountain and Moonlight spilled freely across the walls and floor, bathing her in its soft glow. It chased away her anxiety and energized her, and she regretted having to leave it behind as she continued on.

While annoying at the time, the trek back to the common area after her battle with Zuko two days prior had guaranteed that she would never forget the way to the library. After just a few more minutes of walking, she arrived at the enormous double-doors that marked the entrance to the temple's chamber of learning. Somehow, despite being made entirely of wood, the doors had managed to survive the Fire Nation's raid and continued to stand proudly even after a hundred years' abandonment. Katara could only imagine how they'd looked before the war, back when the world was at peace and the nations were still four. They must have been beautiful.

She was brought out of her musings when her ears picked up the distinct rustle of Air Nomad cloth coming from a small passageway further down the hall on her right. The direction she had just come from. She swore mentally and frantically looked around for a way to escape, knowing she wouldn't be able to get through the large doors without being seen. There was an open entryway not far from her, about ten paces to her left on the opposite wall. She had no idea where it lead but she wasn't in any position to be picky. As quietly as she could, she ran for her goal, hoping, as she ducked inside, that she'd made it without being spotted.

She found herself standing in a long, spacious room that looked like it connected to another hallway at the other end, but it was hard to tell in the dark. The room had a fairly low ceiling compared to the hallway, although her view of it was mostly blocked by a layer of wooden support beams and decaying boards that had probably held storage back in the day. She certainly had a knack for finding storage rooms. Tree roots had broken through the wood in some places to wind down the walls, and one tree in particular had extended its roots all the way to the floor. The spaces near the walls were cluttered with broken crates and the floor was littered with bits of rotting wood from spots where the support beams had given out. Katara rushed over to the place where the roots reached the floor and attempted to use them to climb up onto the support beams. If Aang had seen or heard her come in here, which he probably had, then her only options were to try and make it all the way across the room before he saw her or find a place to hide, and as much as she was loathe to trap herself again by hiding, running in this case would be riskier.

Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the roots being damp. She desperately tried to find any kind of purchase on the slippery wood, but all she was doing was tiring herself out. She saw light out of the corner of her eye and knew that Aang had summoned a flame to help him search. As soon as he looked into this room he would see her.

It was a stupid oversight, really. The wood in this room was rotting, which meant that there had to be a source of water nearby, but because it hadn't rotted away completely the water exposure was a recent development. The only things in this room capable of breaking through a water vein were tree roots, and since this tree's roots were noticeably longer than the rest, it was clearly getting more water. If she'd just stopped for half a moment to consider her surroundings more carefully she could have avoided this situation, but hindsight was twenty-twenty and now she was going to have to live with being caught in this undignified position; clinging to a stupid tree root halfway up a wall that was only a few feet taller than she was. At least this time there was water around that she could use to fend him off. Unfortunately, the darkness gave Aang an advantage. He could use his his earthbending and firebending to help him see, but she would be fighting with minimal visibility. If he was clever and decided to fight her from the shadows then there wasn't a whole lot she would be able to do to defend herself.

She made one last desperate grab and nearly shrieked when a hand shot out of the darkness and grasped her wrist, tugging her swiftly up onto the boards. She barely felt her knees touch the soft wood before the hand holding her wrist clamped over her mouth and its partner encircled her waist, pulling her back and holding her firmly in place against an obviously male chest. Despite the heavy shadows that made it difficult to see much of anything up here, it didn't take her long to identify her savior. She had been in nearly this same position the previous morning after her "intense meditative experience" and she recognized his scent. It was Zuko.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>They both sat perfectly still as Aang's firelight peaked through the cracks and holes in the wood. He passed directly beneath them, and for a moment the light coming up from the large hole by the roots was bright enough that when Katara turned her head she was able to see Zuko's face. He was following the movement of Aang's firelight intently, his odd gold eyes illuminated by the orange glow. For an instant those eyes shifted to meet her own, and Katara felt a tingle run up her spine, then Aang moved away and they were plunged back into darkness.<p>

They waited for Aang's light to disappear from the room, and then a few minutes longer just to be safe. When they were positive he was gone, Zuko released her and she pulled away from him quickly. He lit a fire of his own in his right palm so that they could see each other but he made it as small as possible in case Aang decided to come back. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the flickering tongue of flame resting harmlessly above the delicate skin of his palm. She had the strangest urge to reach out and touch it, but she curbed it. "Thanks for helping me," she said softly. Normally she would be stubborn and insist that she could have handled herself, but it was obvious to both of them that she would've been caught had he not stepped in, and she just didn't feel like fighting about it at the moment.

"It seemed like you could use it," he replied.

She blushed a bit from embarrassment at having him see her like that. What kind of self-respecting waterbender was defeated by her own element? "I was going to the library to find Haru but then Aang appeared right when I was outside the door," she explained, feeling the need to justify herself. A peculiar look passed over Zuko's face for a split second when she mentioned Haru, but it was gone before she could identify it.

"I would give up on that if I were you," he told her. "Aang knows something's up in this area and he'll be sure to check there."

Katara suddenly felt very guilty. Because of her own selfishness, she'd ended up leading Aang directly to Haru. And after he'd gone through the trouble to inform her about Teo's noisemakers too. Now she hoped that he had moved on after all and wasn't in the library anymore.

She was pulled back to the situation at hand when Zuko suddenly put his finger to his lips and extinguished his flame. She held her breath and listened as hard as she could, waiting for a sound to indicate that Aang returned or was nearby. She didn't hear anything, but Zuko must've because he whispered, "We can't stay here."

"I know of a good spot. I hid there for hours," she whispered back. She didn't want to admit it, but she hoped he would take her suggestion as an invitation to hide together. Haru was out of the question now, but Zuko was here, and he had proven that he was at least somewhat reliable.

"That place isn't safe anymore. Aang found the soup jug you left behind."

He had? She mentally berated herself for not packing it up when she left. She honestly hadn't expected Aang to look there while she was- wait... "How did you know that was mine? Have you been watching me?" she asked accusingly.

"I've been watching everyone," he said plainly.

Oh. So in all the time that nobody had seen him, Zuko had been watching all of them. How comforting. "Were you also watching when I was hiding from Aang in a storeroom?"

"I was, actually. I saw Aang chasing you so I followed, but I didn't go into the room. I thought it was over for you when he picked the same passage that you did, but when I didn't hear any struggling I figured you must've found a place to hide, so I triggered one of your friend's noisemakers to lure him away from you."

"That was you?" she exclaimed in a loud whisper. "Aang was a quarter of a second away from discovering me in a cupboard when that thing went off." She knew the timing was too much of a coincidence... She calmed herself and said, "I guess I should be thanking you for that too, then."

"Don't mention it," he replied. Katara was pretty sure she heard amusement in his voice when he said it, but she let it slide.

Now that her plan had been thrown out, she wasn't sure what to do. She had lost her only means of coaxing him into staying with her, and she couldn't just flat out ask. Her pride wouldn't allow it. She heard Zuko shift and could just barely make out his form as he moved around her to the roots. She felt him touch her shoulder, and he said, "Come over here, I'll help you down." She complied and he lowered her gently down through the hole. The height really wasn't an issue, she could've jumped down easily, but neither of them wanted to risk attracting Aang with the noise. She was just wondering how Zuko was going to tackle that particular issue himself when he dropped down next to her smoothly and silently. Oh right, panther-shark.

He stood still for a moment and looked like he was concentrating on something, then he said, "Follow me."

She perked up. Follow him? Did that mean he wanted to stick together too? She nodded and he lead her back out into the same hallway she'd come in from, but she was confused when instead of going deeper into the cliffside he headed back in the direction of the common area. She moved to walk beside him and asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

"Up," he said simply. She gave him a skeptical look and he explained, "Until now, Aang has spent most of his time searching the upper levels, but now that he knows that you, at least, have been hiding out downstairs, I'm betting he's going to shift his focus to the bottom floors."

"But right now he's up here," she reminded him. "What if we run into him on the way to the stairs? It'll be harder to escape in these large hallways."

"It'll be tricky," he agreed, "But as long as he continues to firebend, I'll be able to sense where he is."

"You can do that?" she asked with surprise. He'd never let on that he had such an ability.

"You sense water, don't you? And earthbenders sense earth," he pointed out.

"Well yeah, but...I don't know, I guess it never occurred to me that firebenders do it too," she admitted.

Zuko looked at her for a moment with an unreadable expression, then he turned his face forward and increased his pace a little so that he was walking ahead of her again. Katara watched him with confusion. Had she offended him somehow? She didn't think she'd said anything particularly offensive, but then, she really didn't know him that well, did she.

"We're not so different, you know," he said suddenly. He didn't turn around, but nor did he sound angry or even annoyed. If anything, he sounded almost wistful. "Benders are benders. Even if the element is different, fundamentally we are the same."

Never in her life had Katara imagined she would hear such words coming from a firebender. They all seemed to think that their bending made them somehow better than the rest. Aang said once that the whole reason the war began in the first place was because the Fire Nation considered themselves to be superior to the other three nations. None of the firebenders she had met would ever admit to being cut from the same stuff as their enemies. Well, except for Jeong Jeong, she amended. That man clearly thought the opposite of his countrymen.

"You should tell your country that," she told him.

Zuko looked back at her and smiled wryly. "That would go down well."

Katara wanted to point out that because he was their prince, the people of the Fire Nation should technically just shut up and do whatever he said, but something that he'd told her father the other day stopped her. _In the Fire Nation, questioning the Fire Lord is not tolerated, crown prince or not_. If just speaking out in his father's throne room had gotten him banished, she could see why he would be reluctant to speak out against his entire nation. "Surely there must be some way to convince the Fire Nation that what they're doing is wrong," she tried.

He sighed and turned to face forward again "My people are brought up to believe that the Fire Nation is he epitome of all that is just and good. They're taught that this war is about spreading our wealth and prosperity to the rest of the world. In my great grandfather's mind, it was, but power has a way of driving people mad, and his dream has become everyone's nightmare. My own people are suffering and dying in the war while my father and the nobility wipe their backsides with cashmere, but even though it's terrible and many of them know it, they won't admit it. They don't want to be told that they're wrong, and they won't accept it even if you do." His tone had been matter-of-fact at first, but as he spoke its quality changed somewhat. She thought of his uncle then, and the sad, disappointed look the old man had given him when he made his choice in the ruins of Old Ba Sing Se. It was the voice of experience, she realized. Zuko was speaking of himself as much as his nation.

Perhaps she herself had gone mad, because for the first time since he'd joined their group, she didn't doubt the integrity of his words. She believed him.

"What changed, Zuko?" she asked softly, "Why did you join us?"

He faltered in his step and then stopped entirely, and Katara stopped as well, a few feet behind him. He turned fully around so that he was facing her, and looking straight into her eyes he said, "I saw how much better things could be." He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again he was looking off to the side, as if it embarrassed him to talk about it. "I opened my eyes and saw that the world didn't work the way I thought it did, and that there were things that I never knew I was missing. The Fire Nation is the same. They need to see that they don't have to live the way Ozai wants them to before they'll be willing to change."

"But you returned to the Fire Nation. You went back."

"It took going back there to realize that the home I'd longed for disappeared with my mother." He turned back around and continued walking, and after a moment's deliberation, she jogged up to walk next to him again.

She still didn't forgive him for his decision, but she thought that now maybe she understood it.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>They carefully made their way through the corridors, occasionally detouring through other hallways and passages, though she was never sure if that was because Aang was nearby or if Zuko was simply being cautious. The stairs they were looking for were actually quite near to the common area – an especially risky location – and sure enough, just as they were about to reach them Zuko swore and pulled her behind a pillar. A few seconds later Aang appeared out of the darkness, leading a bound Haru. Katara's face fell and she cast the brunette a mental apology. His arms were secured behind him, encased to the elbows in ice so that he couldn't bend them free. He looked quite uncomfortable – which didn't surprise her in the least – and as they came closer he said to Aang, "I promise I won't run away, so could you please melt this ice? My arms are freezing!"<p>

"Not a chance," Aang replied unwaveringly. "We're almost there anyway."

She held her breath as they passed, unconsciously pressing closer to Zuko so she was as hidden as possible behind the column. Zuko stiffened, but then reached an arm around her and pulled her tighter against his side. Aang showed no sign of having any idea that they were there. He wasn't bothering to use firebending to light his way, and he was obviously too preoccupied with his captive to use his seismic sense.

Now there were just four of them left; two benders and two nonbenders. As soon as Aang and Haru were out of sight, Zuko nodded at her and they ran for the stairs. They didn't slow down until they reached the safety of the next floor, then they turned to each other and Zuko gave her a hesitant smile. She returned it with one of her own, and they just stood there for a moment, letting their heart rates return to normal.

"That was a close one," she stated, still breathing a little heavily.

"I think he might've figured out what I was doing," Zuko told her apologetically, "He's stopped using firebending."

"Then we'll just have to be extra careful," she said. He nodded in agreement and they resumed their trek up through the temple. The journey was a lot less stressful with the threat of Aang finding them reduced by distance, but the lack of excitement left room for fatigue to set in, and Katara felt herself slowing down and her eyelids beginning to droop. It was very late now, and running from Aang was quite draining.

Zuko noticed her decreased energy and said, "I think we should find a place to rest. We're pretty near the surface now so we'll probably be safe here. For a while, at least."

"Yeah," she agreed, rubbing her eyes to clear them and looking around at their surroundings. She'd been spacing out and hadn't paid any attention to where they were walking, but now she saw that they were standing in what she presumed was a living area. There were stone structures shaped like furniture situated nicely around the room, and two of the walls were lined with wooden doors like the ones to their rooms on the main floor. To her right was an archway that lead out onto a large balcony that probably overlooked the canyon. There was a large engraving in the center of the floor that she couldn't quite make out in the dark, but Zuko conjured a small fire to help them see better and she realized that it was the symbol of the Earth Kingdom.

"This level must contain the special apartments reserved for delegates from the Earth Kingdom," Zuko remarked, following her gaze.

"Special apartments?" she repeated, looking back at him inquiringly.

"For international meetings," he explained. "The Fire Nation palace has them too. Special suites for visiting members of the other nations. I think my father's forgotten they're even there – there are a lot of rooms in the palace that are never used – but my mother showed them to me once. I think you'd like the Water Tribe apartments. They're very blue."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Oh good. I could never sleep in them if they were green."

He looked down at her, abashed, and said, "Sorry, I don't know very much about you. But you're always wearing blue and most of your stuff is blue and-"

"I do like blue," she assured him with an amused upturn of her mouth, "But I like other things too." Then she added, "And not everything I wear is blue."

He gave her a curious look. "Really? I don't think I've ever seen you wear any other color."

"I wore nothing but red for nearly a month before the invasion," she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You wore red," he repeated, a strange quality to his voice. He was looking at her with another one of his unreadable expressions and his eyes seemed unusually dark, though it was probably just the lack of proper light. He shook his head suddenly and said, "Anyway, let's find a place to rest. It looks like that door leads to a bathroom, if you, you know..." He awkwardly pointed to one of the doors behind her.

Honestly, Katara really could use a bathroom break, so she nodded and told him to scout out a good spot while she "freshened up". When she was done, she found him standing in front of one of the many doors, examining it with a thoughtful expression. Then he turned away from it and she guessed he'd deemed the room unfit for hiding in or something, but without warning, he whirled around delivered a powerful side kick, breaking the door right off its hinges.

"What are you doing!" she hissed, striding over to him and putting her hands on her hips scoldingly.

"The doors are the only things up here that aren't made of stone," he said, going over to the fallen door and hefting it over his shoulder. Despite her confusion and disapproval, Katara was once again quietly amazed at his strength. He didn't look like he should be able to do that. "If we sit on this we'll be safe from Aang's earthbending senses."

"Oh," she guessed that made sense. "Where are we going to put it?"

"I was thinking one of the bedrooms. We'll be closed in, but Aang won't find us as easily if we're behind a closed door. And even if he does, I think even the Avatar would have trouble taking on both of us at once."

Katara agreed that this was true. She and Zuko were already forces to be reckoned with on their own, but together their strength would be multiplied, and as gifted and amazing as Aang was, he was just one person against two master benders who were also his teachers and knew how he fought.

The whole situation was completely backwards from what she was used to. For months she and Aang had run from Zuko, but now she and Zuko were running from Aang. Life truly does have a way of surprising you.

They picked one of the rooms directly across from the balcony to be their hiding place. Zuko broke the knob off of the severed door so that it would lie flat, then he set it on the floor parallel to one of the walls, leaving a small gap between its edge and the wall. Katara dropped her bag next to it and gingerly stepped onto the thick piece of wood, pleased to find that it didn't wobble at all underneath her. She looked up to find that Zuko had left, and she guessed that he must have gone to use the bathroom himself. He surprised her when a minute later he reappeared, carrying another door. She hadn't even heard him break it. Were they each getting their own? She'd figured they were just going to share one. They were very tall doors and there was plenty of room for both of them. He carried it over to where she stood but instead of laying it on the floor like the first, he turned it sideways and positioned it flat against the wall, sliding it neatly into the gap he'd left before.

"I thought we might like the option of leaning against the wall," he explained, wiping his brow from the effort.

Despite her guilt about defacing more of the temple, Katara agreed. Really, she was just too tired to care all that much at the moment. She nodded and sat down with her back against the second door, trying to get comfortable. She really missed the luxury of her bedroll, but knew that it would have been impractical to haul it around with her.

Zuko closed the door, shutting out the remaining moonlight, and joined her, settling himself a respectful distance away. He'd summoned another small flame to help him find their spot but he continued to maintain it even after he sat down. Once again, Katara's gaze was drawn to his fire, and she watched it dreamily as fatigue clouded her thoughts.

She yawned and then nodded at his hand. "Won't Aang sense that?"

"No. His firebending senses aren't developed enough yet. He's still at the stage where he can't feel fire unless he's in direct contact with it."

"Oh," she responded, then out of habit she gave him a hard look and said, "You're not holding out in his training are you?"

He scowled at her frustratedly and said, "No!" but his ire quickly melted away and was replaced by a look of tired resignation. "I know you don't believe me, but I want to defeat my father as much as you do, Katara."

She didn't respond and his statement just hung between them. They were silent for several minutes and she found her tired eyes drawn back down to the flame in his hand. She noted absently that the restlessness was back, but she ignored it.

She was very near sleep now, so she was only vaguely aware of what she was doing when her mouth opened and she said, "You're a really weird prince."

He looked at her with confusion. "How so?"

Her brain must be malfunctioning, because even after realizing what she'd said, she didn't stop herself from answering him. "Princes are supposed to be charismatic and charming. They're supposed to wear shining armor and ride into danger on white ostrich horses and rescue distressed maidens. They're supposed to sweep you off your feet and whisk you away into the sunset where they'll make you their queen and the two of you will live together in love and happiness and fabulous rich-ness forever." She didn't notice that she'd scooted closer to him as she said this, even when their sides were nearly touching.

"Well you're a really weird peasant," he responded.

"Excuse me?" It occurred to her, despite the fog in her brain, that Zuko hadn't called her a peasant in a very long time. Now that she thought about it, he never referred to her by anything other than her name anymore. When had that started?

"Peasants are supposed to stay at home and mind their fields and serve their lords," he replied, "Not travel the world teaching waterbending to the Avatar and making plans to overthrow the Fire Lord." He paused, then he said, "But I'm not a prince anymore and you're no peasant."

Her eyes drifted up to meet his. "What do you mean?"

"I betrayed my father and I as good as gave up my birthright when I joined the Avatar. Unless both Ozai and Azula are defeated, I will never be Fire Lord."

She'd meant what did he mean about her not being a peasant, but what he said surprised her. "So even though you turned your back on your country, you're still eligible for the throne?"

Zuko looked down at his hand with a joyless smile. "It must drive my father nuts. He could never justify killing me but my legitimacy as his heir stands as long as I live," he said lowly. "The Fire Lord was originally the head of the Fire Sages, the spiritual leaders of our people. He was chosen for that position by the god of fire himself. Only those with the blood of Agni's chosen can assume the throne, and by extension it is considered to be our divine right to rule."

"Then you're technically a Fire Sage," she determined. She remembered them from Avatar Roku's temple, the troublesome old men in red robes who tried to stop them from reaching the celestial calendar.

"I'm technically many things," he muttered quietly to himself, but she heard it.

"I guess instead of 'the banished prince' we should call you 'the runaway prince'," she joked. She tilted her face up to look at him properly, and only then did she realize how close they were sitting. Their faces were only a few inches apart. She gazed at him in fascination, her brain too foggy to be bothered by their closeness.

"You should sleep, Katara," he suggested softly, his warm breath whispering over her lips, "You'll need plenty of energy for if Aang finds us."

She nodded heavily and closed her eyes. She wondered how it was that he could be so awake right now. She was the one who ran on moon power, it was him who should be drifting off right now. Without her consent, her head succumbed to gravity and fell onto his shoulder. That was the last thing she remembered before exhaustion overtook her completely.

oO0Oo

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><p>We all made it! The end of chapter eight! Thanks for sticking with me through another long wait.<p>

I sincerely apologize for the delay. I've been busy with family in town, and before that I had to devote most of my time into cranking out art for **Zutara Week**. If you're interested in seeing my drawings, follow this lovely link here (without spaces, of course): calcifer. deviantart. com

Feel free to leave a comment on any of my pictures (wiggles eyebrows suggestively). I draw, as I write, for all of you.

As I promised in my profile, this chapter was extra extra long. 20 full single-spaced pages in mah w0rd processor! Oh my!

So in this chapter we got Katara's POV the whole way through, but we actually learn more about Zuko than we do about her. For those of you who have been hoping for more Zuko/Katara alone time, you'll get a lot of it starting next chapter. Can you say sexual tension?

Next Chapter: The gaang recieves a very special visitor and Zuko and Katara are landed in spot of hot water.

Till then, y'all!


	9. To the Victor Go the Toils

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

**Part Two**

Chapter Nine

To the Victor Go the Toils

Zuko hadn't meat to fall asleep.

His plan had been to keep watch for Aang while Katara napped. Really, it was her fault for falling asleep in a such an inconvenient place. How could he be expected to stay alert when her head was tucked so nicely under his chin and her calm, rhythmic breathing was lulling him into such a state of peace and assurance. He didn't even remember when it happened. He was sitting there in the dark listening for Aang like he'd planned, and the next thing he knew he was opening his eyes to find that several hours had passed. The room was still perfectly dark of course, as there were no windows to let in light, but he could sense the sun beginning to rise outside.

It was dawn.

His whole body felt especially toasty and he realized that his cheek was resting on top of Katara's head. His mouth went dry when he felt warm breath ghost over his throat, and all at once he became acutely aware of the face buried in his neck and the nose pressed up against his pulse. Trying not to move too much, he summoned a small flame to his hand and discovered that at some point during the night Katara had managed to wrap herself very snugly around him.

The light from his fire must have disturbed her, because she sighed and tucked her face further into his neck, causing soft, moist lips to brush over his skin. His good eye widened and he swallowed nervously. This was good. No! Not good, the other one. Bad. This was bad. If she woke up right now... She sighed again, sending a rush of warm, damp air across his neck and collarbone, and unconsciously slipped her hand under the folds of his hippari to rest on the bare skin of his chest.

Sweet spirits. He couldn't handle this.

He gently removed her hand from inside his shirt and shook her shoulder lightly. "Katara, wake up. It's dawn."

She opened her eyes groggily and blinked a few times before what he said hit her. Her eyes widened and she lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him excitedly. "Dawn? We won?"

He blinked. "I guess." He was actually quite surprised Aang hadn't found them. They'd been sitting turtleducks. Then again, it was probably for the best that he didn't. Zuko didn't fancy the very awkward conversation that would inevitably have followed had Aang discovered him and Katara all snuggled up together.

Speaking of which, he couldn't figure out why Katara wasn't trying to kill him right now. She didn't like him, and she'd made it abundantly clear that she didn't trust him, so he was very confused by her lack of concern at finding out that she'd spent the night cuddling with him.

He never knew quite what to expect from her anymore. Two days ago he would have suffered her wrath if he so much as looked at her, and aside from wary looks and scathing remarks, he would be lucky if she even acknowledged him when he was around. Now she was talking to him and allowing him to sit with her at meals and accusing him of not being princely enough and falling asleep on him, and everything was changing too fast for him to keep up.

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head before walking over to open the door. He had to shield his eyes as sunlight spilled into the room, accompanied by the twittering of birds various birds. She turned around to face him again and gave him a bright smile. "We did it! We actually made it through the whole night. I can't wait to rub it Toph's-"

She was cut off by when a loud explosion shook the temple, followed closely by several more explosions. They both grabbed a wall for support as the rock beneath their feet shuddered precariously. They looked at each other in alarm and Zuko scrambled to his feet, trying to get his bearings. Together they left the room and ran out onto the balcony to see what was going on below. Alarm turned to panic when they saw several enormous Fire Nation airships rising out of the canyon, firing bombs into the temple. The brunt of the attack seemed to be focused on the platform with the fountain where, to their horror, they saw Aang and the others running away from the blasts and the floor starting to crumble.

Zuko instantly knew who was behind this. Azula was the only one who could both figure out where they were hiding and mobilize an attack force this quickly. He scanned the ships for any sign of his sister and found her without much difficulty. In typical Azula fashion she was standing regally atop the largest and most impressive looking vessel of the group.

"Aang!" Katara yelled before he could stop her, and despite the distance and the noise from the explosions, both Aang and Azula heard her and looked up at where they were leaning over the edge of the balcony.

"Katara! Zuko!" Aang called back, "Are you guys oka-"

Azula interrupted him by shooting a large fireblast at his feet before she turned to face the balcony again, looking up at him with a rather maniacal grin. "Why hello Brother, I was just wondering where you were!" She glanced briefly at Katara and her smile widened even more, "Consorting with peasants? Oh, Mai isn't going to like that!"

Zuko's chest constricted with guilt. _Mai_. He'd completely forgotten about her. If Azula did anything to her and Ty Lee... "What do you want, Azula?" he yelled down at her angrily. He caught movement behind her and saw that the others were now trying to coax Appa through a hole in the cliffside, although it didn't appear to be working.

"What do I want? Do you really have to ask?" She gave him a look of disdain, but it only lasted a second before it was replaced by that terrible grin. "I'm simply doing what you were too much of a coward to do yourself. Soon Father will no longer need to trouble himself with the Avatar _or_ his pathetic failure of an heir!" She summoned a pillar of azure flame in one hand for emphasis. "Oh, and as a personal thank you for turning Mai and Ty Lee against me, I promise your death won't be quick or painless. Perhaps you'd like another scar, hmm? To match the one Father gave you?"

Katara snapped her head around and stared at him, shock and horror obvious on her face. He flinched and turned away, unable to bear that expression from her. He looked back at the others and saw that they'd given up on trying to get Appa into the tunnel and had instead split into two groups. Azula followed his gaze and her grin widened again. "Now where could they be planning on going?" she asked rhetorically, "Oh that's right, you made off with my airship at the Boiling Rock, didn't you?" She then turned to the captain of the ship next to her and said, "Destroy it."

"No," Katara breathed next to him, but there was nothing they could do as the second ship broke formation to search along the canyon.

Aang quickly switched gears and ordered everyone to get on Appa. "Wait there, we'll come for you!" he called up to them, then he ran over to help load Sokka load Teo's wheelchair up into the saddle.

"I don't think so!" Azula yelled, blasting fire at them, but Aang managed to divert her flames with airbending.

Zuko watched anxiously, hoping they would be able to make it through the barrage. Katara grasped his shoulder looked at him worriedly. "There's no way Appa will be able to carry us all," she said, "He had enough trouble when it was just Aang, Sokka, Toph, Teo, Haru, The Duke, and me, but now he's carrying all of them plus my dad and Suki and Chit Sang. It's too much."

His heart dropped into his stomach. If they couldn't get away, they would be killed. "We have to try," he said determinedly. "You, at least, need to escape."

"But what about you?" she insisted, "I can't just leave you alone with her!"

He looked at her in surprise. _She wouldn't abandon him to his doom. She would try to stay with him._ The realization made him smile, but he wouldn't let her do that. Thinking quickly, he said, "Bend some fog to hide us from view and I'll get away while you get on Appa. Azula won't know that I'm not with you."

"Zuko-"

"Please, Katara," he begged, "I'll be fine. I'll meet up with you guys later." Back at the fountain, Appa groaned and with great effort managed to take flight.

"How will you even find us?"

"I'll think of something. Tracking the Avatar is kind of a specialty of mine, remember?"

She frowned, but he could tell that she was out of arguments. With all the stubbornness she could muster, she said, "You'd better. Aang still has to master firebendng before the comet."

"Katara!" Aang's shout reached them as Appa closed in on the balcony. Zuko nodded to her and she whipped out her bending water, obscuring the balcony with a heavy cloud of mist.

"Grab on," Hakoda called, reaching out his hand to them as Appa stopped by the railing. The poor bison was obviously working as hard as he could to stay airborne under all their weight.

"Good bye, Katara," Zuko said as he grabbed her and lifted her up into her father's waiting arms.

Hakoda grasped her and tried to heave her into the saddle, but the added weight proved too much for Appa to handle and he began to drop. Katara quickly hopped back down onto the balcony to keep them from falling into the canyon.

"Appa can't do it!" Sokka informed Aang in a panicked voice.

"Come on buddy, you can handle this!" Aang said, scratching the bison's head encouragingly, but Appa just groaned sadly.

"I'll stay behind so that they can escape," Hakoda declared, getting to his feet in order to dismount.

"No, Dad! You can't!" Katara cried.

"It's alright, Sweetie, I-" He was cut off when a ball of blue flame went sailing past his head. Azula was firing into the fog. Appa roared in fright, still very much traumatized by his nasty past experience with fire, and took off away from them through the crevasse.

Katara stood there in shock, but Zuko didn't waste a single moment. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the vapor into the temple. The fog did its job, and when it lifted they saw Azula and her ships sailing away from the temple in hot pursuit of Appa.

They watched soberly as both their comrades and their enemies disappeared from sight "What are we going to do now?" Katara asked him in a small voice after they'd gone.

It was a good question, but Zuko didn't have a good answer. He hadn't counted on her staying behind with him, and the truth was he really didn't have a plan. Honestly, he was surprised their deception had worked. He'd never been able to fool Azula before. Unfortunately, there was no way that she would be fooled for long. "We need to leave before Azula realizes we're not with them," he said simply.

"That's all well and good to say, but where will we go? I don't think there are any other towns or villages around here, and without Appa or the airship we have no way of crossing the ocean to get to either the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation mainland," she pointed out. Then she sighed and said, "Maybe it would be better just to stay here and hope that they get a chance to come back for us."

He shook his head. "If it were anyone else besides Azula then I'd agree with you, but trust me when I say that if she finds us now we won't last long enough for Aang to come and pick us up."

"I know she's powerful, but we've faced her before," she reminded him.

"Things were different then. She's changed. She's not playing around anymore."

Katara gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I've known Azula her whole life. She's been manipulative and cruel since she was six, and she's taunted and threatened me more times than I can count, but today, she meant it," he said seriously. "I've never quite been able to understand what goes on inside her head, but I think Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal might've pushed over some kind of edge."

"Is your whole family completely nuts?" she asked exasperatedly, but she quickly caught herself and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Zuko. That was really rude of me."

He shook his head to dismiss her apology. "No, you have every right say that after everything we've done. And I'm ashamed to say that it's probably true." He himself had begun to realize not long ago that there was something very wrong with his bloodline. Before he left the palace, he'd taken a look through the annals in the dragonbone catacombs to see if he could find any more information about Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin, and in the process he discovered a pattern of madness in his ancestors that actually predated his great grandfather, though each instance of it had either been very well hushed up or twisted in a way that made it seem reasonable. He hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but the more he watched his father and sister and thought about his grandfather, the harder it became to ignore. Somehow his uncle and cousin seemed to have avoided this _curse_ of theirs – curse was the best word he could think of to describe it – but he couldn't help but worry that it was only a matter of time for him. What if one day he turned into Azula? ...or his father?

If it weren't for his uncle, would he already be like them? A _monster_ who was incapable of loving anyone, even his own wife and children?

His thoughts must have registered on his face, because Katara had put her hand on his shoulder and was looking at him with concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just... thinking about something," he said lamely. "Anyway, I think our best bet right now would be to head for the ocean. We're not too far from the northwestern peninsula of the Earth Kingdom. Maybe we can build a raft or something and cross over." It wasn't a great plan, but it was all he had at the moment.

Not having a better plan of her own, Katara agreed.

They went back by their rooms to gather up what they could, but unfortunately all of the camping gear, including Katara's bedroll, had been packed away on Appa. Zuko didn't have one to begin with, he just slept under his cloak. They each packed a small travel bag with necessities; soap, bandages, etc. Zuko strapped his swords to his back and Katara donned her arm and leg guards and refilled her skins. They did all this as quickly as possible since neither were sure if the ship Azula had sent to destroy their own had left with the others or if it was still roaming the area.

When they had finished, they emerged out onto the clifftop and looked around tentatively. There was absolutely no sign of Appa or Azula's airships anywhere, just clear skies and bright morning sun. It was almost like the attack hadn't even happened.

Except that now they were completely and utterly alone; stranded in the most northern territories of the Fire Nation with nothing but a couple sacks of toiletries and a feeble plan.

They could have moaned and groaned about the injustice of their predicament. Katara could have groused about how unfair it was that she'd been torn from family when they'd only just been reunited again. Zuko could've lamented the fact that every time things were starting to look up for him, something like this happened. But they didn't. Complaining would get them nowhere, and right now it was more important that they use their energy productively to find a way out of this mess.

They bid a silent farewell to the place that had been their home for past couple weeks and headed off into the jungle.

oO0Oo

They traveled all morning using the sun as a guide to keep them on an eastward track. The terrain was mountainous and hard to traverse in many places, but they kept up a steady pace, trying to cover as much ground as they could before the sun reached its peak and the temperature would become unbearable. They were very far north, but the impressive heat often caused Katara wonder if the Fire Nation brought its climate with it when it conquered these islands.

They eventually had to stop and rest, not just because of the temperature but also because their stomachs were crying out. Neither had eaten anything yet that day and they had been walking nonstop for several hours. Katara had reached into her bag at one point for the dried mango that she kept for situations just like the one they were in now, but then she remembered how Momo had stolen into her bag and eaten it all, and her ire at his fuzzy self returned tenfold. It was upon seeing her stormy expression that Zuko had suggested they take a break.

They found a small clearing and sat down together on a fallen log under the shade of a large tree to rest their weary feet and escape from the blazing sun.

Katara looked at Zuko with a hopeful expression and said, "You wouldn't happen to have any food, would you?"

He shook his head. "I didn't think we would be leaving so soon, so didn't bother to stock any supplies. I kind of hoped we would encounter a fruit tree or a berry bush or something while we walked, but so far there hasn't been _anything_."

She sighed and looked down at the ground. "We haven't passed any streams large enough to fish in either," she said. What were they going to do? They had no food, no supplies, and no idea how much farther they still had to travel before they would reach the ocean. Just then a thought occurred to her and she wondered how both of them had overlooked something so obvious. She looked at Zuko excitedly and said, "Aren't you a good hunter? You can catch us something to eat!"

To her surprise, he looked away and rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "Actually, I'm a terrible hunter," he said, and she saw his unmarred cheek flush lightly from embarrassment.

"What? But you're a skilled tracker. You chased Aang all the way across the world," she said disbelievingly. He was a sneaky panther-shark for La's sake, he couldn't be that bad.

"That's different. Aang's not an animal," he told her pointedly. Then he frowned and added, "Most of the time."

She smacked him on the arm lightly for his remark, then said, "Well you must have had to hunt at some point. You told my dad you were a starving refugee."

"Yeah, emphasis on 'starving'."

"I'll teach you then," she declared, standing from the log and pulling him up with her. "I sometimes helped hunt tiger-seals and arctic hens for our tribe. If we work together I'm sure we can catch _something_."

Zuko looked unsure for a moment, but then he smiled and put a hand on his hip. "Alright, you're the boss," he said. "What do we do first?"

"Well first we need weapons," she replied, turning around to look around for wood that could be made into a spear.

"I have my swords," he suggested helpfully.

She turned back around and gave him a skeptical look. "Zuko, you can't use broadswords to hunt. You'll ruin the meat."

Clearly this surprised him, because he said "Oh," and rubbed the back of his head again. Then he said, "What about my knife?"

She looked at him in disbelief for three full seconds, flighting the urge to take a leaf out of Sokka's book and smack her forehead. He wasn't kidding when he said he was a terrible hunter. Unbidden, an image of Zuko waving his knife around in the air and chasing an arctic hen around a glacier popped into her head, and she had to stifle a snort of laughter. Zuko gave her a grumpy look.

"Sorry. Just, no blades, okay? What we need are spears," she informed him. "See if you can find a good stick; something straight and strong, but not too brittle."

He nodded. Then he looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "I'll be right back," and disappeared into the trees. She watched him go with slight confusion, but shrugged and went back to hunting for wood. She would just trust that he know what he was doing.

A short while later, he returned carrying two shaved saplings over his shoulder, both roughly eight feet long and about an inch thick. Katara took them from him for inspection and was pleasantly surprised at their quality. "These are pretty good, Zuko," she said, impressed.

He smiled and said, "I've made spears before."

"I guess you're not completely useless after all," she told him, but she smiled so he'd know she was only teasing. "They still need points though. Give me your knife."

"It's okay, I can do that," he offered. She shrugged and handed the sticks back to him. He sat down on the log, laying them across his lap, and used his knife to whittle the tips into points.

Watching him do this was a little nostalgic. It reminded Katara of when she was little, watching her dad's warriors carve fresh spears before a long hunting trip. Of course, their spears were typically made from bull-whale bone, not wood, but the image was the same.

When Zuko was done, he conjured a fire in his left palm and tempered the tips to keep them hard and sharp, then he handed one to her and stood up. "Alright, we have weapons. Now what?"

"Now we have to find an animal," she replied, testing the point on her spear with her thumb. Satisfied, she looked back at him and continued, "The best way to do that is to search for a trace, like footprints or droppings. Footprints are the best, because we can probably follow them back to the animal's den, but droppings will at least tell us what sort of creature we're looking for. It's always helpful to know what you're hunting for. You're the one who camped out here, do you know what kinds of animals live in this area?"

"Badger-frogs," he said without hesitation.

She crinkled her nose in distaste. "Anything else?"

"I don't know. I only spent one night in these woods before I moved in with you guys," he reminded her. "And you always make vegetable dishes. The only meat I've eaten since I got here was the rabbit-pheasant your dad caught."

"Meat is hard to come by and it doesn't keep well unless it's cured properly," she explained. "Plus, it's easier just to make vegetable dishes since Aang's a vegetarian."

Zuko's mouth turned up a bit and he said, "You know, for a while I thought maybe you were a vegetarian too, but then I remembered that I'd seen you eating fish with Sokka back when I was still chasing all of you."

His comment shocked her a little. He thought she was a vegetarian? She barely knew what a vegetarian was before she met Aang. Truthfully, the idea of not eating meat as a principle was hard for her to grasp at first. When you lived at the poles, choosing to not eat meat simply wasn't an option. Not many plants could grow in such a harsh climate, and the dearth of soil made it hard even for the ones that did. It was eat meat or die. She gave him an amused look and pointed to the beads hanging over her forehead. "Zuko, I wear bones in my hair. Do you really think I'm a vegetarian?"

"That's what those are? I always thought they were ivory," he said with surprise.

"Um, that's what ivory _is_," she said crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," he said, looking at them in wonder. "When I was little my uncle gave my mom an ivory comb that he said came from one of the water tribes. I thought it was a type of rock."

"How did your uncle get a water tribe comb?" she asked with disbelief..

Zuko shrugged. "I have no idea. Apparently he also studied waterbending."

A firebender learning waterbending? Katara decided that if she got the chance, she might like to meet General Iroh again.

oO0Oo

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><p><p>

In the end, they agreed to hunt for rabbit-pheasants, as neither of them were keen on eating frog. Katara briefly went over technique and the importance of patience and stealth when stalking game. She doubted stealth would be an issue for him, but patience might, so she made sure to stress that particular point. It turned out that with a little instruction, Zuko was actually quite a capable hunter. He already had all the right skills, he just lacked the basic know-how. In under an hour, they had a rabbit-pheasant each, more than enough to fill their stomachs.

Katara used her waterbending senses to locate a small stream, and there she showed him how to gut and skin the animals. He watched her cut the first animal open with grim fascination, and she had him do the second. Soon the meat was roasting over a campfire, and Katara thought that Zuko seemed quietly pleased with himself.

After lunch they continued their trek eastward. Every now and again they would scan the sky for any signs of Appa or Azula, but the cloudless stretch of blue remained empty. The sun continued to beat down on them relentlessly but around mid afternoon the wind picked up a bit, creating a much welcomed breeze.

It was getting to be evening when they crested a tall hill and stopped short. An enormous valley spread out before them, rising into a rather formidable looking mountain range. The view nearly took Katara's breath away.

It was stunning. Behind them, the slowly sinking sun cast golden light across the valley below them and illuminated the large, bare patches of cliffside on the mountains behind it. The vastness and openness of it made her wish she could simply fall from the cliff they were standing on and let the wind glide her across the sun-kissed expanse, and she thought that this must be how it felt to be an airbender.

Near the foot of the mountains was a good sized lake, fed by a narrow river that ran the length of the valley. The water sparkled brilliantly and Katara felt the call of her own element keenly.

She tore her eyes away to look at Zuko and saw that he too had been taken in by the view, but she completely forgot about mountains and valleys when she saw his face.

He wore an expression of tranquility and peace that she never imagined from him. She remembered watching him wash his clothes in the temple's fountain and thinking how different he looked to her, but when she tried to compare his face in this moment to the bitter scowl from her memory, she almost couldn't do it.

There was no trace of the old Zuko in that expression. In that moment, Katara could almost fool herself into thinking that he was a different person. Almost. But there was a small part of her that was beginning to realize that behind the rage and armor, this Zuko had always been there.

It wasn't that he had become a different person. She had just never known him at all.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

Knowing that they'd never make it through the mountains before sunset, they decided to spend the night in the valley. They "set up camp" near the lake, which really just meant shifting stones around and creating a fire pit, and Zuko moseyed off to gather firewood while Katara used her bending to fish for dinner.

Since finding wood in a forest wasn't exactly the most onerous of jobs, Zuko used this time to do a bit of exploring. There were many species of plants that he'd never seen before, and he occasionally wondered if this bush or that flower would make good tea. (Then he would worry that he was becoming his uncle, which inevitably caused him to feel guilty, and he'd glare at the plant until he felt better). During his wander, he was lucky enough to happen upon a small grove of summer-apple trees, and he picked a few and stuffed them in his bag to bring back to camp.

When he returned, Katara had just finished gutting the four fish she'd caught and was in the process of spearing them on sticks for roasting. He dumped a few sticks into the fire pit and stacked the rest on the ground nearby, then he shot a small blast at the pit so that they could cook the fish and sat down.

He was startled when Katara suddenly said, "It's a good thing I got stuck out here with you and not Sokka or Toph or someone."

Hope swelled in his chest. "It is?"

She brought the fish over to the fire and began scouting out the best spots to stick them. "Well yeah. They're not firebenders. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get a fire going without spark rocks?"

He immediately deflated. "Oh."

She stuck the ends of the sticks into the dirt so that the fish could cook and then sat back and hugged her knees to her chest. They were silent for a while as they watched the fish roast, and Zuko snuck glances at her every so often, trying to guess what she was thinking about.

She was taking their separation from the others surprisingly well. She'd kept a level head, and she so far she hadn't attempted to blame their situation on him (which he was happy about). In fact, she pretty much just seemed normal. He thought she would be more emotional about being torn away from her friends. _Her precious Avatar._

In the months that he'd chased them, Zuko had it in his mind that Katara was more the Avatar's cheerleader than a proper comrade. Her bending was beyond pathetic and it didn't seem like she knew any other fighting styles, or have any special skills in general, so he knew the Avatar wasn't keeping her around for her usefulness. Of course this image became increasingly harder to hold on to as her bending improved and he witnessed her stubbornness and determination, not to mention her loyalty. During their fight at the North Pole he was finally forced to recognize her prowess as a bender and her strength of spirit, but he guessed there was a part of him that still expected her to trip without her friends there to hold her up.

"Do you think they escaped alright?" she asked suddenly, not taking her eyes off the fire.

He looked up at the sky and said, "Judging from the lack of airships flying around looking for us, I'd say they escaped just fine," he assured her. "But they'll have to be extra careful now that Azula's on their tail. I'm sure you're well aware of how persistent she can be."

She looked up at him with an amused expression. "Well she is related to _you_," she remarked cheekily. He frowned a little at that, and she said, "Oh don't make that grumpy face at me. You're the poster child for annoying persistence."

He wanted to say that she would be persistent too if her honor and home were on the line, but he was forced to swallow the words when a fish was thrust under his nose. "Here, this one's done," she said, wagging it in front of his face by the stick.

"Oh, uh, thanks," he said instead, taking the stick from her. She nodded and grabbed a fish for herself, blowing on it a few times before taking the first bite. He did the same. Then he remembered the apples and pulled them from his bag. "I found these while looking for wood," he announced, proffering one up before her.

He was confused when she began chuckling. "What?" he asked, not seeing what was so funny about apples.

"Nothing," she said, taking the fruit, but he heard her mutter "S_ecret talent indeed,_" under her breath.

Fell back into silence again as they ate. Katara looked out at the lake, amusing herself by watching fish jump out of the water to catch low flying bugs and Zuko watching the sun dip toward the horizon, painting the sky with shades of fire.

"Orange is such a lovely color," Katara said, following his gaze.

He looked at her in amusement. "I thought you liked blue."

She rolled her eyes. "I already told you, I like other things too."

He deliberated for a moment, and then asked, "What about red?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Yes, I also like red."

"Even though it's the color of the people you hate?"

She sighed and looked back at the sky. "I don't hate the people of the Fire Nation," she said after a minute. "I thought I did, for a while. After my mother was murdered. But I've seen that there are bad people everywhere, and I shouldn't let my hate for a few bad apples influence how I feel about the rest." She turned to him then and said, "What about you? Do you dislike blue and green and brown and orange and yellow just because they're the colors of your enemies?"

He couldn't help smiling a little as her question brought back a particular memory. "You wanna know a secret?" he asked.

She was obviously thrown by his offer. "Uh, sure."

He leaned back on his hands and said, "My mom used to tease me because apparently, when I was little, my favorite color was purple."

Katara smirked and hid a giggle. "Purple, huh? Very manly."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, go ahead and laugh. Not like I never got that from Azula."

"You know, if you want, we can go back to the Northern Water Tribe and get you a nice purple parka. Or maybe a dress like Princess Yue's. You remember her, don't you?"

"Alright, you've made your point," he grumbled, sitting forward and crossing his arms.

Katara flicked his shoulder playfully. "I'm just kidding. There's nothing wrong with liking purple. It's a very noble color. And very expensive." Just then, her eyebrows raised, like she'd remembered something, and she began fishing around in her tunic. He watched her do this with curiosity, and a second later she held out the gold piece he'd given her. "Here, I've been meaning to give this back to you," she said.

Honestly, he'd forgotten she even had it. It slipped his mind in the excitement following their match. Had she been carrying it with her this whole time? "It's okay, you can keep it," he said pushing it back toward her. He had plenty of money, so it's not like he really needed it. He was sure she could use it more than he could. Also, a small part of him kind of liked that she was carrying around something of his. It made him feel significant, and the idea that she thought of him every time she saw it gave him a nice feeling in his stomach.

"I can't just take your money. Especially this much," she argued, trying to hand it back again.

"No, you should hold on to it. I have more, and you might need it if we get separated," he insisted. He knew she would have a harder time refusing if he made a practical argument.

Sure enough, she withdrew her hand and nodded. "Alright, I'll keep it for now. But the people of the water tribes don't accept handouts. You'll get it back after we rejoin the others."

Her stubbornness made him smile. They really were a lot alike. "If you insist," he replied.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

When the sun had disappeared and they'd finished their dinner, Katara grabbed her soap and excused herself to go bathe in the lake.

Because the water was in plain view of their camp, she elected to keep her sarashi on. There was no way she was stripping past her skivvies in front of a teenage boy, no matter how attractive he was. Although perhaps in the end it wouldn't have mattered, because Zuko promptly covered his eyes the moment she began to remove her tunic. She found his shyness incredibly amusing and a little endearing. It occurred to her then that this was the first time she had stripped like this with him around, and he probably assumed that she was bare under her dress.

She smirked at his obvious discomfort and said, "You can look, Zuko. I'm not going to get naked in front of a boy." She saw him hesitantly lower the hand he'd been holding over his face and open his eyes, but the moment he saw her his eyes widened and then slid to the side. Her smirk turned into a smile. He really was shy.

She stepped into the lake and waded out until the water reached her waist. In the shade of the dimming twilight, the previously crystal clear water appeared almost black, and everything below the surface was completely hidden from view. It wouldn't be long before dark, and she could already see stars beginning to appear in the east. She walked out a bit further and untied her hair loops, securing the beads beneath the cloth around her chest, then she dunked her head into the water and shook it around to wet her hair so that she could wash it. When she was finished lathering her hair, she did a quick scrub down of her body, cleaning her bindings as well, and then dove underwater for a full rinse.

It felt wonderful to be surrounded by her element again. It had been weeks since the last time she'd been around any sources of water larger than the fountain, and she was realizing how much she'd missed it. She did a little twirl underwater, just to enjoy the cool sensation of it moving against her skin, then she shot to the surface, bending the water around her up into the air in a playful spiral as she did.

She let the water splash back into the lake and fell back herself, allowing her body drift as she stared up at the sky. Only the tiniest bit of light still lingered over the western horizon now, and she could see the moon, large and round above her. She felt its power enhancing her own, pushing and pulling the energy in her body. In two days it would be full and she would be at her strongest.

"_You can be stronger."_

Katara's eyes widened and she scrambled to right herself. It was Yue's voice, just as she'd heard it in her dream. She looked around wildly, but the princess was nowhere to be seen.

She didn't imagine it. She couldn't have. She stood perfectly still and listened, but the spirit's voice didn't come again. Eventually she gave up and sighed.

She knew what Yue was referring to. She hadn't forgotten the massive rush of power she'd felt the morning she'd joined Aang and Zuko in meditation. It was that very same night that Yue had appeared in her dreams. Did what happened during meditation have something to do with the "great service" the princess had mentioned?

The experience was jarring and Katara was reluctant to try it again – her stumble with Hama disinclined her from wanting to mess around with power – but if she'd learned anything from traveling with Aang, it was that weird phenomena like unexplained bursts of chi probably shouldn't be ignored. Whatever happened that day had to be important, and maybe if she did it again she would understand why.

She glanced back at the camp and saw Zuko sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. His eyes were closed and his hands were resting in his lap, palm-up, with the fingers of his right hand overlapping those of his left and his thumbs touching in the middle. It was the same position that he'd used when he meditated two mornings ago.

Seeing Zuko meditate made it easier for Katara to put her reservations aside and just give it a go. If he could do it, so could she. She dug her toes into the mud at the bottom of the lake and took a deep breath, then she closed her eyes and concentrated on the network of pathways in her body until she found the straight line that traveled from her tail bone up to the top of her head. It was much easier now that she knew what to look for. With the moon enhancing her powers, she was able to feel her chi much more clearly, and this time she could distinctly sense seven points of spiraling energy positioned along the length of the line. She realized they were in the exact locations where she'd felt her energy grow the most.

Taking a few more deep breaths in preparation, Katara focused on the bottommost point.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

Girls were crazy. Fact.

Katara had just stripped down. Right in front of him. As if it were the most normal thing in the world. She said she wanted to wash her hair and then suddenly her belt was gone and her tunic was sliding off her shoulders and he'd had to cover his eyes because it was all kinds of improper to watch a respectable young lady disrobe.

He'd hesitantly uncovered his eyes when she assured him that she was decent, but one look at her nearly-bare form had him casting his gaze away in embarrassment. Sure Zuko had seen skin before, there'd been plenty of it at the beaches on Ember Island, but this was entirely different. The girls at the beach had been wearing swimsuits, and while many of those swimsuits were more revealing than Katara's bindings, the fact that she was in her underwear made the situation feel a miles more intimate.

Also, none of those girls looked like Katara.

In all the time he'd know her, ally or otherwise, Zuko had never seen Katara less than fully clothed. Aside from her arms, everything from her collar to the tips of her toes was always completely covered. Of course he'd _wondered_ what she looked like underneath all that clothing – what male wouldn't? – but never had he anticipated the sight of her affecting him so much.

She was much more fit than the vacationers on Ember Island. There was obvious definition in her legs, and surprisingly, a bit in her stomach as well. He wondered if that was from waterbending or simply from having to travel on foot so often. She was slender, but the curves of her hips were already as pronounced as girls his own age. Perhaps that was a standard characteristic of water tribe women, because he seemed to recall the princess of the Northern Water Tribe being rather curvy as well. He couldn't really judge Katara's chest, as it was wrapped so tightly, but her collarbones and shoulders had an enticing smoothness about them that made him want to run his fingers over them.

Having lived on a ship with an all male crew for the first three years of his adolescence, Zuko was a bit more sheltered than most when it came to the opposite sex. That wasn't to say he was completely clueless. In fact, living with a bunch of seamen was probably the most thorough sex education one could receive. Moreover, his uncle had taken great pleasure in regaling him with bawdy tales from his own youth (tales he occasionally found interesting but mostly just wished he could purge from his brain). However, Zuko's own experience with girls was still pitifully lacking. He'd been too focused on his hunt for the Avatar to spare more than a passing thought on women, and his romantic interactions were limited to a forced date in Ba Sing Se and a two-month relationship with Mai. Jin had been nice, and Zuko had enjoyed being with Mai, but he didn't see what had his uncle and his crewmen singing schmaltzy ballads and dirty ditties on music nights.

Now though, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps there was a slight chance that the possibility existed that they could, conceivably, have been on to something... maybe.

In an effort to distract himself from the scantily clad propagator of confused feelings in woman form who was now running running soapy hands through her thick, luxurious hair while water dripped down along her smooth, peregrine skin in a way that was entirely too sensual, he turned to meditation. He faced the fire, adopting a half-lotus position, and arranged his hands in a customary Dhyana mudra. This was the first time in the two weeks since he'd left home that he would be meditating without Aang, and he found that it was a little strange. He'd become used to having the kid around, and now he actually kind of... missed him.

The realization shocked Zuko a little. He wasn't really accustomed to missing people. He missed his mother and he missed his uncle, but for the most part, 'missing' wasn't something that he did. To him, _I miss you _had always just been a social tack-on; used because it was polite or the other person expected it. Nobody ever missed him, so why would he miss anyone else?

But now he did. It hadn't even been a day, and already he missed the Avatar and his annoying gaggle of friends. He missed Aang's upbeat attitude and Toph's sassy remarks and even Sokka's bad jokes. He missed sitting with everyone at meals and listening to them tell ridiculous stories and laugh and tease each other, even though it made his heart ache with jealousy and resentment.

If he'd sided with them when he had the chance in Ba Sing Se, they would have welcomed him as a friend. They could have defeated Azula, and then his uncle would be with them and Aang wouldn't have a horrible scar on his back and Toph's feet wouldn't have been burned and Sokka wouldn't have had to rescue his father from prison and Zuko wouldn't have spent two months being haunted by the memory of Katara's grief-stricken face as she held Aang's body in her arms. He sighed. There was nothing to be gained by playing "what if". He could have joined them many times; in the ruins of Old Ba Sing Se; when they all fought Azula together in Tu Zin; when they saved him from freezing to death at the North Pole; when Aang offered him his friendship after he rescued him out of Zhao's stronghold; but he didn't. He chose to continue his miserable quest, never knowing that there had always been a place for him with them, and if he'd just allowed himself to take the hand they offered, he would have known that there were people out there worth missing.

But then, the people of the Fire Nation never were very good at taking an outstretched hand, _not even to save their life_.

Zuko pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand. Meditation didn't work very well when you were busy beating yourself up for past mistakes. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, concentrating on his inner fire as it was stoked with each inhale and calmed with each exhale.

Meditation was a common practice among firebenders, but he just like everything else, Zuko had been determined to take it further. With his uncle's guidance, he learned how to extend his awareness to the inner workings of his body, and through his own force of will, he discovered that with enough effort he could consciously control certain aspects of his autonomic nervous system, an ability that he sometimes suspected Azula of having as well.

Ever since he met the dragons with Aang and learned true firebending, Zuko noticed that his chi felt different when he meditated. He now had better control over it than he used to. _Most of the time_. But there were times when it seemed to almost have a will of its own. He didn't have a better way to explain it other than that it seemed _antsy_. He would be meditating or firebending, and suddenly he would feel his energy pulling from within him as if it wanted something, or wanted him to do something, but he had no idea what. The thought that part of him was acting outside of his control was very unnerving, and he wished his uncle were around to ask about it. Uncle always knew what was going on.

Speaking of which, Zuko felt his inner fire flicker and flare up suddenly, but it settled back into its normal rhythm a moment later. Distantly he heard splashing from the lake where Katara was, but he didn't open his eyes to see what she was doing. He maintained his focus and concentrated on his control, but his chi remained perfectly calm, not showing any signs of acting up again.

He meditated in peace for the next several minutes and was about to call it good when without warning his chi blazed up and he was hit by a powerful sensation like a wave slamming into him. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground and his body was burning but his blood felt like ice and his ears were ringing and bright lights danced behind his closed eyelids. He snapped his eyes open, breaking himself out of his meditative state, and saw that the earth beneath him had been burned black. He instinctively looked around for Katara to make sure she was safe and was met with the most incredible sight of his life. The lake and everything fed by its water were glowing with bright blue light; the leaves on nearby bushes and trees; the veins running up through their roots and trunks; the moss on the rocks; the fish still jumping for bugs... and at the source of it all was Katara, standing in the water with her face tilted toward the moon and her eyes closed. '_What in Agni's name...?_' he thought in awe.

Katara's body suddenly jerked and she fell forward, and all at once, every bit of light vanished, plunging the area into almost total darkness. Not waiting for his eyes to adjust, Zuko summoned a flame and looked at the spot where Katara had been standing but he saw only ripples on the water's surface. He waited for her to resurface but she didn't. Panicking, he ran out into the lake, boots and all, holding his flame aloft as he trudged sloppily through the water. She still hadn't come up by the time he got there and dread caused his chest to tighten. Sacrificing his light, he plunged both arms into the water and began frantically searching around. He grew more desperate with every second that he didn't find her until he couldn't take it anymore and despite knowing that he wouldn't be able to see in the dark water, he dove under. It was over two minutes after she disappeared that he finally found her. His right hand brushed her hair completely by chance, and he hauled her above water, wasting no time in carrying her to shore.

As soon as they were out of the water he laid her on her back. He lit a tiny flame over his shaking index finger and placed it above her mouth, hoping against hope that she was breathing. She wasn't. He extinguished the flame and moved his fingers to her neck in search of a pulse. It was hard to distinguish anything through the erratic pounding of his own heart, but he thought he felt something, and that was good enough for him. He cupped the top of her head with his left hand and under her chin with his right and tilted her face up to open her airway, then he moved his left hand to pinch her nose and mashed his lips to hers, exhaling air into her lungs. When her chest began to expand he pulled his mouth away and turned his head to the side to listen for breathing. Hearing nothing, he took a deep breath and tried again. He repeated this process again and again, growing more dejected every time she failed to breathe on her own.

His mind began to whisper that she might already be dead, that he'd probably just imagined a pulse, but he refused to believe that. Waterbenders don't drown. That would be stupid. Katara wouldn't die stupidly. She was perfectly fine ten minutes ago, and people who are perfectly fine don't just die. He gripped her face between his hands and glared at her. "You're a waterbender aren't you? Save yourself!" he commanded. Still nothing.

His face fell and he moved his left hand up to smooth it over her forehead. He pushed her wet hair back before bringing his hand back down to her nose to try yet again. By this point so much time had passed that he began to fear that even if she did wake up, she would suffer brain damage from lack of oxygen. However, the next time he pressed his lips to hers, he felt her mouth jerk as a choke hiccuped from the back of her throat. His heart leapt and he immediately pulled away and turned her onto her side. He just managed to pull her hair away from her face before she coughed once and vomited lake water onto the grass next to her. She curled in on herself and he laid his hand over her temple and held it there comfortingly as she continued to heave. When she was done, he let her rest for a moment before he rolled her back over and lifted her into a reclining position against his arm. She looked up at him with watery eyes and said, "Tui, Zuko, did I just nearly drown?" in a rather incredulous, if scratchy, tone.

He couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face, even though his heart was still hammering in his chest from fear. "Are you... Are you okay?"

She tried to nod but winced and clutched her forehead. "Yeah, I think," she said instead. "My head is pounding."

He raised three fingers in front of her and asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Seven."

Upon seeing his distress she gave him a dry look and said, "I'm kidding."

He gave her a disapproving look and said, "This is serious, Katara. You weren't breathing for a dangerously long time and I'm trying to make sure you didn't suffer any permanent damage."

Her expression sobered. "Not breathing? How long?"

He looked her in the eye gravely and said, "Over four minutes, by my estimate."

Her eyes widened and he saw fear in them. "You're joking."

He shook his head. "I thought you were going to die," he said somberly. _I thought you were dead_.

"I- I was just meditating," she said, a note of panic in her voice.

"Meditating? Katara, I looked up and the whole lake was _glowing,_" he said with disbelief.

She looked confused. "Glowing?"

"Yes, bright blue. Even the fish and the plants," he told her. He didn't understand how she could possibly not remember it. "Then you fell into the water and I waited but you never came back up."

Her eyes roamed over him, taking in his waterlogged clothes and dripping hair, and it finally seemed to hit her what had happened. She sat up fully and brought her fingers to her lips, then she looked at his own mouth and even in the dark he could see her cheeks flush. He felt his own cheeks heat up as he realized what she was thinking. Was she mad?

"You saved me," she said in wonder, drawing her eyes up to meet his again.

His blush intensified and he looked away, clasping his hands awkwardly in his lap for lack of anything better to do with them now that he was no longer using them to support her. "Sokka would find me in my sleep with _space sword_ if I let anything happen to you," he said lamely.

He was given the surprise of surprises when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a big wet hug. "Katara?"

She didn't respond, just continued to hold onto him for several seconds, and he didn't know quite what to do. Then she said, "I'm sorry for pushing you off the temple." At first he was confused about why she would be bringing that up right now of all times, but then he realized what she was doing and he smiled widely. She was finally starting to forgive him, but her pride wouldn't allow her to say it outright.

He brought his arms up to rest on her back, returning the embrace. "Thank you."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

That's the end of chapter nine! Sorry it's late _again_, but it just kept getting longer and longer, and I'm telling you, it makes the rules.

So a lot happened in this chapter. I said before that Zuko and Katara were in for a lot of alone time, but how many of you expected this? Don't worry though, the rest of the gaang are by no means out of the picture. Katara and Zuko get the short end of the stick since they're not with everyone else when Azula attacks, and now they'll have to fend for themselves for a while. Katara has another go with meditating but makes the mistake of doing it in water, giving both herself and Zuko a terrible fright. We also get another glimpse into Zuko Land and see a bit of what he's feeling and what he thinks about the gaang. Katara now knows who gave him his scar, and that is festering in her mind, though she hasn't brought it up yet.

Thank you for your wonderful reviews. I love hearing that people are enjoying this story and I'm delighted to read your observations, suggestions, and even criticisms. If you have an FFnet account remember to sign in so that I can reply to you.

Next chapter: Zuko and Katara find an unexpected way to cross the ocean and Katara discovers that she likes a man in uniform. The rest of the gaang worries.


	10. The Plot Thickens

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Ten

The Plot Thickens

Sleeping was a rather uncomfortable affair. They had no tents and no bedrolls and the badger-frogs were having a wild party somewhere across the lake. Zuko was beginning to regret not eating them.

They'd turned in for the night not long after Katara's bizarre incident in the lake. Near-drowning is apparently very exhausting, and they wanted to get an early start the next morning anyway. They'd found the smoothest patches of ground they could to lay on, but stones and lumps still pressed painfully into their muscles. Zuko had given Katara his cloak to sleep under, so the only buffer between him and the unforgiving ground was his tunic, which he was using as a pillow. Despite the lumps and strife, Katara had fallen asleep fairly quickly, leaving him alone with his restlessness and agitation. What he wouldn't give for a nice, comfortable door to sleep on.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

He tried many methods to fall asleep. He counted koala-sheep; he controlled his breathing; he thought of his favorite foods; he pictured everyone he knew with Haru's mustache... Nothing worked. At some point a cat-owl had flown over and perched on a nearby tree. Apparently just to stare at him, as that's all it had done for the past hour. Sit there and stare at him like a friggin' creeper. _Go away, creeper-owl_.

He recalled Ty Lee saying once that when she couldn't fall asleep, she played the word-association game. Why the hell not? Nothing else was working.

He started with _moon_, since that's what he'd been staring at for the past couple hours.

_moon_; _waterbending_; _Katara_; _drowning_.

He frowned. Maybe _moon_ wasn't the best word to start with. He tried _badger-frog _instead.

_badger-frog_; _lake_; _Katara_; _drowning_.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Perhaps he should just avoid using anything in this area as a starter word. He thought hard for a moment, then picked _fire-slug_.

_fire-slug_; _slimy_; _worm_; _dirt_; _roots_; _flower_; _garden_; _turtleduck_; _pond_; _lake_; _Katara_; _drowning_.

Gah!

He groaned and covered his face with his hands. Why couldn't he stop thinking about that? He rolled onto his side and looked at Katara, soundly snuggled up in his cloak just four feet away. How was it that _he_ was the one fretting and losing sleep right now when it was _her_ who nearly drowned?

Despite himself, he scooted closer and reached out a hand, lightly brushing her cheek with the tips of his fingers. He knew it was foolish and irrational, but he just needed to touch her; to confirm that she was still here with him. What was going on with her? She told him that she'd been trying to follow her chi again, like she had during Aang's lesson. She'd described how her senses had become ultra sharp and how she could feel the water in everything around her, even him. Did she have something to do with his own chi going nuts by the campfire? Had she done something to him without realizing it? Was that even possible?

Once again, he wished his uncle were around. He could really use some wisdom.

oO0Oo

It turned out Zuko wasn't the only person suffering from insomnia that night. On a small island off the northern coast of the Fire Nation mainland, Sokka, Toph, Aang, and Suki were gathered around a campfire while the rest of their group slept. The loss of two of their friends weighed heavily on their minds, and worse was the fact that they had no idea what happened to them after Appa flew away. The very real possibility that they had been caught and were now at Azula's mercy was enough to banish any thought of rest. Everyone wanted to go back and look for them, but they were royally stuck. The fact remained that Appa couldn't carry them all, and it was too dangerous to leave anyone behind, as their camp could be found and attacked at any time.

"I hate this!" Aang announced, pounding his thigh in frustration. "Katara and Zuko could be in big trouble right now, and we're just sitting here doing _nothing_."

"I know, Aang, but there's nothing we can do," Sokka said glumly, throwing another twig into the fire. "We can't split up until we find a safer place for everyone to hide."

Aang furrowed his eyebrows at him. "And what if they're dead by then, Sokka?" he demanded hotly. Realizing that he was unjustly taking his frustration out on his friend, he reigned in his temper and apologized.

"We have to trust them to take care of themselves," Suki said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "They're both excellent benders. They're not helpless."

Toph grinned. "Yeah, Aang. Remember this is Sparky and Sugar Queen we're talking about. Personally, I'm more worried about their sanity than their lives," she joked.

Aang sighed dejectedly and put his head in his hands. "This is all my fault," he said sullenly, "If we hadn't been playing my stupid game, they wouldn't have been in a different part of the temple when Azula showed up."

Sokka put his hand on the airbender's other shoulder. "It's nobody's fault," he stated, "There's no way any of us could've known that Azula would attack the temple. And even if we had all been together, Appa still wouldn't have been able to carry us all."

Aang shook his head. "I could've distracted her while the others got to the airship," he argued.

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda," Toph echoed. "None of that matters now, so instead of sitting around and moping about it, we should think about what we're going to do from here."

Sokka nodded in agreement. What they needed was a plan. Good thing for them, he was all about plans. "First and foremost, we need to find a better hiding place," he announced. "Once we do that, we'll send a party on Appa to look for Katara and Zuko. Aang, you still need to master earth and fire before the comet arrives. You should ask Chit Sang to fill in for Zuko for the time being."

Aang perked up a bit at being given a task. "I'll ask him in the morning," he said.

"But until then, let's concentrate on getting some rest," Suki stated. "We won't get anything done if we're all a bunch of zombies tomorrow."

Agreeing with the sensibleness of Suki's statement, they smothered the fire and retreated to their tents to salvage what little sleep they could in the few remaining hours before dawn.

oO0Oo

The snow beneath Katara's feet shook as the giant black ship sliced through the ice, heading straight for the village. She remembered this. It was the day she and Sokka found out that the mysterious young Air Nomad they'd discovered frozen in the ocean was actually the missing Avatar; the day they left their home for the very first time; the day Zuko came to their village.

She saw Gran Gran and the other villagers running away in fear, and Sokka standing on the ice wall with his club, his face decorated with warpaint. Not a minute later, she heard a familiar crunch as the ship's bow broke through the wall, followed by a hiss of steam as it came to a halt. In a moment the bow would drop and Zuko would come strutting down the ramp, flanked by two soldiers and looking large and intimidating in his heavy maroon and grey armor. She remembered it well. He was the first firebender she'd seen since the day her mother was taken from her.

Sure enough, the bow dropped, but the young man who stepped out was not Zuko. Instead of maroon and grey, this man wore crimson and gold, and the design of his armor was much more elaborate than the standard soldier's outfit Zuko had worn. His dark Fire Nation hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail and adorned with a small, aureate flame. His face was beautiful, all high cheekbones and porcelain skin and delicately slanted eyes. He descended down the ramp, bearing himself with authority and grace, and as he neared, she was able to make out his features more clearly. Her breath caught in her throat. It _was_ Zuko.

But why did he look so different? Why didn't he have a scar? She looked at where Sokka should've knelt, waiting to charge him, but instead she saw her brother standing and looking up at Zuko with a huge grin on his face. He was no longer dressed like a warrior, but instead wore a richly decorated parka. What's more, their father was standing next to him with a smile of his own. What was going on?

Zuko finished his descent and Sokka met him at the bottom. He clapped him on the back and said, "Zuko, buddy, good to see you."

The strange, scarless Zuko smiled and nodded at him. "Sokka," he greeted.

"Yes, welcome back, Prince Zuko," her dad said, coming up to clasp his arm in the traditional Water Tribe fashion.

"Thank you, Chief Hakoda," he said politely. "How is your wife?"

She looked at her dad in shock. What wife?

He chuckled and said, "Oh, she's fine. Turns out it was just a particularly nasty head cold, but thank you for sending those herbs."

Zuko smiled and nodded. "Of course," he responded. "My mother will be relieved to hear that she is feeling better. She wanted to come with me, but King Kuei is visiting the Capital right now, and she couldn't make it."

She frowned. What was the Earth King doing in the Fire Nation?

"A shame. Kya would have loved to see her."

Katara's heart skipped a beat. They were talking about her mother.

It was then that Sokka noticed her and waved. "Katara!" he called, "Why are you just standing there? Get over here!"

At Sokka's shout, Zuko looked up and saw her as well. Their eyes met and he smiled widely. "Katara," he said cheerfully, "I was wondering where you were."

Okay, this was just too bizarre. She knew she was dreaming, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but once again, it felt completely real. Everything was in perfect focus; the snow under her boots, the chill in the air, the people around her... She realized suddenly that she was surrounded by people, most of whom she'd never seen before. She looked behind her, and instead of a scattering of tents she saw an entire city, similar to the one at their sister tribe. There was even a palace, draped with banners bearing the symbol of the southern tribe.

Turning back to the trio of males by the ship, she saw that they were all waiting for her to join them. She smiled hesitantly and jogged over to where they were standing. She nearly shrieked when Zuko grabbed her and twirled her around with a giant grin. Her unbound hair whooshed through the chilly air and she gaped down at him wide-eyed, but before she could think of how she should react, he pulled her down to him and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

Distantly, she heard Sokka say, "Blech, oogies!" but she was too busy being _utterly flustered_ to pay him any attention. She quickly reminded herself that this was just a dream. Just a silly scenario cooked up by her lake-water addled brain, completely outside of her control.

Zuko set on her back on her feet and looked at her affectionately, his two, unmarred eyes staring straight into her own. "How's my favorite princess?"

She blinked in confusion. Now she was a princess too? Or was that some kind of pet name? Whatever the case, it was very strange hearing Zuko of all people call her that. Just as an experiment, she asked, "Don't you mean 'peasant'?"

His eyebrows went up in surprise and then lowered in confusion. "Peasant?"

That word spoken by this Zuko was at once familiar and foreign. The voice was right, and so were the lips that uttered it, but there was no history there. This Zuko didn't know her as a peasant. "Never mind," she said, shaking her head.

"Hey Zuko," Sokka cut in, pulling his attention away from her, "I don't suppose you happened to, you know, stop at the Southern Air Temple on your way here, did you?" He clasped his hands together in front of him expectantly.

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes in a put upon manner, but smiled and said, "Yes, Sokka, I picked up some jam for you."

Sokka made a delighted noise and exclaimed, "You're the best!"

"I imagine you met with Avatar Aang while you were there?" her dad presumed.

"Yeah, how's he doing these days?" Sokka interjected.

Zuko groaned. "Still trying to sit me on his knee and offer me _sage wisdom_."

Sokka grinned. "Well he is your great grandfather," he pointed out.

"The effect is ruined when the guy who's knee you're sitting on still looks like he's in his forties," Zuko grumbled. "And he's not my great grandfather."

Sokka snapped. "Almost got you to admit it that time," he said in a teasing voice.

"There's nothing to admit," Zuko asserted in that familiar grumpy tone of his.

"Oh come on, it's not like it's a bad thing, and he's very fond of you."

"He's embarrassing."

By this point, Katara had stopped trying to understand what was going on. The whole thing had passed firmly into the realm of ridiculous.

Sokka dismissed Zuko's protests with the universal 'talk to the hand' gesture, and said, "Rather than standing out here in the cold, how about we go inside."

"An excellent suggestion," their dad agreed. He put a hand on Zuko's back and began leading him toward the city. "We can continue catching up over hot tea and crab cakes. And I think Sokka and Katara have something for you."

Sokka's eyes lit up and he grinned, falling into step with them. "You better believe it! We made you a super awesome birthday present this year. Well, Katara did all the sewing, but I..." his voice faded as they got further away.

Katara tried to follow them but found that she could no longer move. Confused, she struggled to take a step forward, but it felt like her legs were tangled up in something.

"Katara?"

She blinked, and suddenly she was lying on the hard ground with the real Zuko squatting next to her and watching her with a partly concerned, partly amused look on his face. She blinked again as her brain reoriented itself to reality, and Zuko blinked back. She noticed his damp hair and realized that he must've just finished bathing. It hung partially over his eyes, but did nothing to hide the gold irises glinting in the morning sun. "How'd you sleep?" he asked.

She pushed herself up with her left arm and stifled a yawn with her right. "Fine, I guess. I had a really bizarre dream though."

He scooted back to give her room to stretch. "What sort of dream?" he asked curiously.

Strangely, she didn't think twice about telling him. It just seemed natural, like she was telling Sokka or Aang. "It was about the day you came to my tribe," she said. "It began with your ship crashing through Sokka's wall. Then you came out, but it wasn't _you_, it was like, a really regal and polite version of you."

He gave her a very grumpy look at that, and said, "You're right, that couldn't have been me."

"Well, there were other things that were different too," she admitted. '_Like your face_,' she thought, but she didn't say it. "Anyway," she moved on, "You came out, and for some reason you and Sokka were best friends. My dad was there too, and you exchanged pleasantries with him and discussed how it was a shame that your mother couldn't come with you because my mom wanted to see her. Then Sokka saw me and I came over and you... greeted me. Sokka asked if you'd stopped by the Southern Air Temple, and somehow that led to the two of you having an argument about whether or not Aang was your great grandpa. Then you and him and dad left to go have tea and crab cakes."

Zuko looked at her blankly.

"I told you it was bizarre," she defended.

He tilted his head to the side and a smile crept across his face. "No kidding."

She huffed and thew his cloak at his head. "Let's just get ready."

oO0Oo

Crossing the mountains ended up taking less time than they expected. They kept a good pace, and by midday they had already made it about halfway. However, the climb wasn't without its hardships. There were places where they had to pick their way over crags and boulders, and long, steep sections where they had to use their hands. Twice they encountered a sheer cliff that couldn't be circumvented, and Zuko had to lift Katara onto his shoulders so that she could get over. He would follow after by burning handholds into the earthier spots on the cliff face, and they both frequently lamented the absence of Toph and her earthbending.

For lunch they ate the rest of the apples from the day before, and Zuko located some bushes with small dark berries that Katara had never seen before but Zuko told her were called huckleberries. Apparently they were a wild berry that was hard to grow agriculturally and had to be picked in the mountains. His uncle had told him that the Air Nomads supposedly used to make pies and jams from them, and after trying a few, Katara could see why.

"We should bring Aang here sometime and have him make us a pie," she joked as they sat on a rock, stemming and eating the berries they'd gathered.

"I'd go for that," he agreed, "I like pie." He examined the berries in his hand for a moment and said, "I bet these would also taste good with sweet-cream."

She nodded, imagining it. "Or custard," she added.

He looked at her and grinned. "Yeah, you could even bake them into the custard. With cinnamon and caramelized pecans."

Katara had never heard Zuko sound so enthusiastic about food before – in fact, she'd never heard him sound so enthusiastic about _anything_ before – but then again, he did know a lot about fruit, and he had helped Suki make that delicious coconut sweet rice...

She was struck suddenly by a silly idea. A whimsical notion. But the more she thought about it, the more it actually seemed to make sense. Could it be... that Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son of the most powerful and ruthless man in the entire world and heir to his legacy, had a big fat sweet tooth?

She smiled widely and gave him a knowing look.

He looked back at her apprehensively. "What?"

"Nothing," she said airily. She went back to stemming berries but her smile didn't fade. It felt as though the more she learned about Zuko, the more she thought that he was really just a _giant dork_.

An incredibly charming giant dork.

oO0Oo

Ty Lee woke to the sound of footsteps outside her cell. She blinked blearily and looked through the bars, and her eyes widened when she saw who was standing there.

"Hello, Ty Lee."

"Azula!" she gasped, "What are you doing here?" Azula hadn't visited her even once since she and Mai had been arrested. She'd even said that she never wanted to see them again.

Azula smirked, but there was no joy in her expression. "It's national _visit a traitor in prison day_ today, and I didn't want to be rude," she said snidely.

The trace of hurt Ty Lee detected in the princess' voice when she said the word "traitor" caused her to wince. Her friend's normally impeccable aura was swirling angrily, like a storm, and she knew it was partly her fault. Azula had shown hints of being unstable for years, but until their betrayal at the Boiling Rock, she had maintained an iron grip of control over her emotions.

Ty Lee had never wanted things to end up like this, but Azula had given her no other choice. She'd gone too far and needed to be stopped. "I'm sorry, Azula. You know I didn't-"

"Spare me," Azula interrupted. She took a seat on the empty guard chair just outside the cell and crossed her legs demurely. "I didn't come here to listen to you defend yourself. I came because I have a job for you."

She frowned in confusion. "A job?"

"Yes. You see, I paid my brother and the Avatar a little visit yesterday."

Ty Lee's eyebrows knit together in worry. "You did?"

"Don't look so _concerned_, Ty Lee. They got away on that dumb, hairy mop they call a bison," Azula said, crinkling her nose in distaste. "However, I discovered something very interesting when I tried to chase them."

"What was that?" she asked, curious, but anxious at the same time.

"I happened to take a peek through one of my ship's telescopes and was surprised to find that my brother and that mouthy little waterbending peasant weren't with them. They'd tricked me and stayed behind."

"Did you go back for them?"

Azula scoffed. "Of course not. Zuzu would've expected that and escaped already. He's so predictable. Besides, I don't have time to waste searching for them myself with Sozin's comet in less than a month. That is where you come in. You are going to find them for me."

Ty Lee felt a sense of dread in her stomach. She had a fair idea of what would happen when she found them. "I can't, Azula. I don't want to help you kill your own brother." She looked into her friend's eyes determinedly and added, "I don't think that's what you want either."

All of the playfulness disappeared from Azula's voice and she said, "Don't try to tell me what I do or don't want. You don't know me."

She frowned sadly. _Yes I do_. "I won't do it."

Azula looked at her with fury in her eyes. "Oh, I think you will. I understand that you've become close with some of the other prisoners here, the Kyoshi warriors if I'm not mistaken, and I never am. Don't forget that I decide who lives and who dies within these walls."

She felt her heart drop. "Please Azula!" she implored. "How would I even begin to look for them?"

Azula stood. "You needn't worry about that. I've already taken care of it for you," she said. She reached into her armor and pulled out a partially oxidized copper key. "Now, if you don't have any more questions I think it's about time for you to be on your way. I'd tell you to pack your things, but..." she let her eyes roam around the empty cell pointedly.

"Promise you won't hurt the warriors."

The princess snorted as she unlocked the door. "Please, I don't want to so much as look at them, much less have their filthy blood dirtying my hands. Complete your mission and I'll have no reason to touch them."

"This is wrong, Azula, and you know it," she said in a final effort to get her old friend to see reason.

"In this world, the strong live and the weak die. That's the natural order," Azula stated evenly. "Unfortunately for Zuko, he's weak."

oO0Oo

It was late afternoon when Zuko and Katara reached the other side of the mountain range, and to their delight, they found themselves staring out over the sea. They'd made it.

They began their descent, excitement increasing their pace. and as they got closer, more of the sandy beach became visible. Near the bottom they found a lookout point where they could see for miles up and down the coast, and Katara's gaze immediately zeroed in on a familiar shape blending in with a rocky outcropping a short ways south of them.

"Look there!" she exclaimed, pointing to the spot for Zuko to see.

He followed her finger and his good eye widened. "A ship," he identified.

"A way off this island!" she said excitedly. Now they wouldn't have to worry about how to cross the ocean.

Zuko obviously didn't share her enthusiasm. He frowned and said, "That's a Fire Nation cruiser. I highly doubt that they'll be willing to give us a ride."

Katara's excitement faded. He had a point. They couldn't just walk up and say, 'Hi, your princess attacked our hideout yesterday and now we're stuck here. Do you think you could you give us a lift?' She furrowed her eyebrows at the imposing black vessel. Come to think of it... "What is a Fire Nation ship doing in a place like this anyway?"

Zuko's expression hardened. "Probably standing by for orders. The navy occasionally uses Air Nomad territories as launching points for Earth Kingdom raids."

She looked at him in concern. "So that ship is going to attack the Earth Kingdom?"

"That's my guess," he said, narrowing his eyes at it.

She felt determination rise in her chest. She couldn't stand idly by knowing that innocent people were in danger. "All the more reason to take it," she declared. "We can sneak onboard and lie low until we get to the Earth Kingdom, then we'll sabotage their attack!"

Zuko turned to her and raised his eyebrow. "You want to stow away on an enemy ship?" he asked skeptically.

She nodded and offered him a confident smirk. "We'll be getting a free ride into friendly territory and doing our part to end Fire Nation tyranny at the same time."

Zuko was silent for a moment while he looked at her in a way that she could only describe as appraising. "Have you done this before?"

Her confidence faltered a bit and she said, "Well, no, but after Aang was injured we spent some time traveling on a Fire Nation ship that my dad swiped. He and Sokka and some of our tribe's warriors dressed up in navy armor and pretended to be its crew."

"Really? And that worked?" he asked with some surprise.

"For a while. We were found out when soldiers on another ship asked us what we were doing in the wrong area."

His lips twitched up into a smile and he said, "Well it sounds like you've had some practice at least, but you're going to need more than just a disguise to get away with infiltrating a manned vessel. Luckily, I can teach you everything you need to know to be a model navy soldier."

She blinked, thrown off by his words. "I thought we would just hide in a storage cabin or something," she said, giving him a puzzled look. She was a seasoned pro at hiding in storage rooms after all.

He shook his head. "That's too risky. Cruisers have extremely large crews so there's a good chance that someone will walk in and find us. Deception is our best bet."

"Alright, deception it is then." He'd spent a lot more time on ships than she had. She would follow his lead on this.

oO0Oo

They waited until dark to sneak onboard. It was easier than expected, since most of the crew was either below deck or inside the ship's superstructure. Obviously they weren't very concerned about security on a supposedly abandoned island.

The ship was huge; larger than any ship Katara had ever been on. The deck was probably wide enough to fit twenty Appas comfortably. Zuko smiled at her amazed expression and told her that for a Fire Nation cruiser, it was actually quite small. She remembered how his own ship had been larger than her entire village, but that ship paled in comparison to this one.

Zuko lead her into the superstructure through a rather nondescript looking side-door. Apparently it was the entrance the engineers used in order to travel more efficiently through the guts of the ship, and they would be less likely to run into anyone. The inside was a veritable labyrinth of hallways and railed galleries with pipes running along the walls and ceiling, but Zuko seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Once, they had to duck behind some cargo crates when a large man in an oil-stained, sleeveless tunic came through a doorway ahead of them and started walking in their direction. As he passed, Zuko informed her in a whisper that he was one of the engineers. They eventually arrived at their destination, a small squarish room lined with lockers and spear racks that he identified as an equipment room. This would be where they'd get their uniforms.

Zuko shut and locked the heavy iron door and began opening lockers, checking sizes while she looked around the space curiously. The spear racks were mostly empty, but there were a few halberds and javelins here and there. On a long shelf above the lockers, about a dozen helmets were arranged in a line, their white masks appearing even more creepily vacant without a person behind them.

"Here," Zuko said, startling her. He handed her a folded uniform. "Try putting that on and tell me if it fits. There are a few other women's sizes if it doesn't. I'll help you strap on the armor once you're dressed." He then grabbed another uniform and proceeded to disrobe right in front of her. She quickly turned her back when he got to his pants. A part of her was surprised that he would be so willing to strip with her right there, especially with how shy he'd been at the lake, but she supposed they didn't have any other choice at the moment.

Following his lead, she removed her Water Tribe habiliments, neatly folding each article as she went, until she was left only in her white sarashi and necklace. Worried that somebody might notice the necklace, she removed it and slipped it into her upper bindings with Zuko's coin. She then unfolded the familiar looking grey and maroon uniform he'd given her and separated the tops from the pants. She started with the drab pants, noting their roughness compared to the material of her own pants as she pulled them over her legs, then she donned the matching shirt followed by the long, heavy tunic. Lastly, she picked up the belt and clasped it around her waist, adjusting the girth to fit snugly above her hips. She had to give the designers credit, the uniform was very nicely tailored for her female figure. Although she suspected that had more to do with mobility than fashion..

"That looks like it fits just fine," Zuko commented from behind her. She turned around to find him already dressed as well, complete with a matching pair of pointy boots. His original clothing was nowhere to be found. He must've stashed it in his bag.

"Yeah, it's..." She stopped in confusion when he suddenly stepped forward and reached for her with both hands. She felt his fingertips slide under her ears and around to the back of her neck, and she was about to ask him what in the name of Tui and La he was doing when he lifted his hands, pulling her hair out from her collar. _Oh_. She hadn't even realized that it was stuck.

"Um, thanks," she said awkwardly.

Zuko got a confused look on his face for a second and he looked down at his hands, then he blinked and looked back at her. "Yeah, uh, no problem."

When he just continued to stare at her, she raised an eyebrow and said, "So... armor?"

He blinked again, and then another time, and then he said, "Right, armor. I'll help you with it."

He turned to the lockers and grabbed a smaller, more feminine looking version of the chest and shoulder armor the male soldiers always wore. She stood still as he lowered it over her head and fastened the ties below her arms. Then he reached into another locker and pulled out matching vambraces, attaching them over her sleeves. When she was done being armored, he sat her down on a bench and gave her a few pairs of boots to try on.

She ended up having to try three different sizes before she found a pair that fit her. To be sure, she stood up and walked a few steps. She supposed they were comfortable enough. She hopped twice, testing their flexibility, and then, just for shiggles, she rolled one of her feet forward over the curved tip, amused by the odd shape. When she looked back at Zuko, he had already finished attaching his own armor and was in the process of tying his hair back with a strip of red leather. Sensing her eyes on him, he turned to face her and she inhaled sharply at the sight of him.

The armor he was wearing was almost identical to the armor he'd worn all those months ago, and with his hair pulled away from his face, he really resembled his old self. She actually had to control the urge to drop into a fighting stance the instant he turned around.

He noticed her unease and frowned. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You just surprised me is all."

He gave her an odd look but didn't question her. "How are the boots?" he asked instead.

"I think these ones will work," she replied, lifting one of her feet and turing it at different angles so he could see.

He nodded in approval and then turned back to the lockers to select helmets for them. She watched him pull the helmets down one at a time and inspect them with a critical eye. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she found herself actually admiring the sight of him in soldier's attire. She used to think he looked a little awkward in it, but now he wore it quite well. He looked powerful and refined. _Like the Zuko in her dream. _

Her suspicions at the fountain had been correct; he was definitely thinner than he used to be, and taller too. She wondered how much growing he still had left to do. He always seemed so much older than her and she'd assumed that he was pretty much done developing already. His uncle wasn't a tall man, after all.

But now she wasn't so sure. Sokka and Chit Sang had implied that Zuko was about sixteen, but he couldn't really be that young, could he?

"Hey, Zuko, can I ask you something?"

He looked back at her curiously. "Um, sure. What's up?" he responded.

She glanced from his expectant face to his feet and back, and said, "I know this is kind of a strange question but, how old are you?"

He stared at her blankly, probably wondering why she was asking such a thing now of all times. She was beginning to regret asking, but then he said, "Sixteen. My birthday was just a few days before I came to your village."

Her eyebrows shot up. She didn't even try to hide her surprise. "You're really only sixteen?" she asked incredulously, "I thought you were like, eighteen or nineteen."

Right as she said it, she realized that couldn't be right. _'My uncle spent the better part of the past three years trying to get me see reason'... 'I was thirteen'_.

"Haru is sixteen," he pointed out, "Do I really look that much older than him?"

She frowned thoughtfully. "I guess not. But he has a mustache," she argued.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Mustaches make people look older."

He looked at her dubiously. "So, what, if I had a mustache I'd look like a twenty-one year old?"

The mental image that created was both amusing and horrifying. "Don't grow a mustache."

He gave her a flat look and said, "I wasn't going to."

He went back to appraising helmets, turning them over in his hands until he finally found one that earned his seal of approval. It looked exactly like all of the other ones to her, but she didn't question Zuko's helmet-selecting expertise. She took it and tested its weight in her hands, surprised by how light it was.

"We'll need to tie your hair back," he told her, producing another strip of leather. "There's a particular way you're supposed to bind it, so I'll do it this first time to show you."

She nodded and removed the beads from her hair, putting them, along with her clothes, into her bag. He then lead her across the room to the far corner where a long mirror was hidden behind another row of lockers.

Standing in front of the mirror, Katara took a moment to examine her new outfit. The fit was indeed very good, although the overall image reminded her a bit of Azula. Come to think of it, Azula was the only other female she'd ever seen in armor like this. Zuko came to stand behind her and she watched his reflection in the glass as he examined her hair.

"Tilt your head back a little," he requested.

She complied. Brushing her hair behind her ears, he ran the fingers of his right hand through her thick locks from root to tip, gathering it into his left palm. The feel of his fingertips gently dragging over her scalp caused goosebumps to rise under the fabric of her shirt. She had never been touched like this by a male outside her family and it felt weird. But not uncomfortable.

In fact, it was kind of nice.

When all of her hair had been arranged neatly into a high ponytail, he looped the long strip of leather three times around the base to secure it, then, making sure she was watching carefully, he twisted the rest of her hair into a rope and wound it around itself twice before expertly binding it in place with the remainder of the strip. The result was a sort of bun/ponytail combination that made her hair look several inches shorter.

"This is the style worn by female soldiers with long hair. Women with shorter hair just wear it in a topknot or a ponytail," he explained. "Try putting your helmet on."

She pulled the helmet over her head and stared at her reflection in wonder. She really looked like a soldier. Zuko walked away to find a helmet for himself, and she entertained herself by striking silly poses in front of the mirror. She smiled when she realized that she was acting just like Sokka. If only he were here to see her.

Once Zuko had his helmet, he gave her a brief lesson on proper soldier conduct. Stand up straight; always address your superiors by their title; never question any orders you are given, etc. He instructed her on the proper ways to bow, how to tell a lieutenant from a commander, what times the mess hall was open, and which parts of the ship were off limits. He said that since the ship was currently at rest, the crew was pretty much allowed to do as they pleased, but once they neared the Earth Kingdom things would become more structured and the two of them would have to be extra careful not to slip up.

"What about sleep?" she inquired. She doubted they would be making it to the Earth Kingdom in less than a day, and it was already nighttime.

"These ships have bunk rooms that are open all day and night. The beds aren't very comfortable, but there are always plenty available for whenever you get tired."

"Do the men and women sleep in the same room together?"

"Typically, yes."

She gave him questioning look which her mask prevented him from seeing, and said, "Isn't that, I don't know, a little risky?"

"The bunk room is a very public place so its pretty safe," he assured her. "If someone were going to try something, they'd pick another location."

"...Comforting," she said dryly.

"Don't worry, that sort of thing is pretty rare, and I'll be with you."

"That reminds me, what will we do if we get separated? How will we recognize each other with these helmets on?"

"I'll recognize you," he said without hesitation.

"What? How?"

He was silent for a moment, then he said, "By the way you move. You carry yourself like a waterbender."

She frowned. What did he mean 'like a waterbender'? She didn't think she looked particularly different than anyone else when she walked. "What if I'm sitting down? And how will I recognize you? What do other soldiers do?"

"They generally wear something unique, like a ring or a pin, but we don't have anything like that... wait, I have an idea." He went over to a small cabinet and fished around in it for a moment, then returned with a pot of ink and a brush. He dipped the brush in the ink and painted a small circle on the armor over his left wrist, then he grabbed her own arm and did the same. "There, now we won't lose each other."

"Is this okay? she asked uncertainly, "You just drew on our uniforms."

"It's fine. The ink will come off with a good scrub, and it's not uncommon for soldiers to mark their armor."

"How do you know all this anyway?" she asked curiously. "Last I checked you were a prince, not a soldier."

"I've done this before."

"You infiltrated a Fire Nation ship? Why? When?" What reason would Zuko have to sneak onto one of his own country's boats?

"You remember Admiral Zhao, right?" he asked.

She pursed her lips. "You mean the belligerent dickhead who killed the moon spirit? That Zhao?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, him. He- did you just call someone a dickhead?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Do you... I mean..." He seemed at a loss for what to say. "Where did you even hear that word?"

"Suki. What, is it bad? I thought it meant the same thing as jerk."

"It does, I guess. But... never mind. It's an accurate description," he said, waving his hand as if to brush the matter aside. "Anyway, Zhao blew up my ship, so I snuck onto his to get to the north pole."

"Why'd he blow up your ship?" she asked in confusion. Weren't they on the same side?

"He was trying to kill me. We didn't exactly see eye to eye."

Katara's mind reeled. Zhao tried to kill Zuko? By blowing up his ship? "Wait, was that why you looked so battered when I saw you?"

He nodded. "I caught on to his plan in time to escape, but just barely."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea," she said sympathetically.

"It doesn't matter," he said automatically.

She wanted to protest that it _did_ matter, but he swiftly changed the subject.

"We're going to need fake names," he stated. "There aren't a whole lot of Zukos out there, and 'Katara' is pretty obviously Water Tribe."

"I'll be Sapphire," she supplied. "That's the name I used when Sokka and I had to pretend to be Aang's parents at a Fire Nation school."

"Sapphire?" he asked incredulously. "What kind of a name is that?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong with it?" she asked defensively.

"No respectable woman is named Sapphire," he said pointedly.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay then, what do you suggest, Mr. Know-it-all?"

"I don't know, Ako, Ming, Yu Fi, Zala, Zora-"

"Zora," she picked. It was a nice enough sounding name, and it made her think of water. "What about you?"

"Lee," he said without even stopping to think about it.

"Lee? But there are a million Lees," she protested.

"That's the point."

"But it's so boring. At least pick something interesting."

"Okay then, what do you suggest, Miss Hard-to-please?" he mocked, also crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know, you're the one with the arsenal of Fire Nation names," she replied. "Sokka went by Wang, how about that?"

"_Wang_?" he repeated, sounding even more incredulous than he had when she'd suggested Sapphire. "You and Sokka were _Wang_ and _Sapphire_? Spirits, what a couple."

She frowned behind her mask. She didn't see what was so horrible about the names they'd chosen. Sure they weren't great, but they'd worked, hadn't they? "Fine, just be Lee. I don't even care," declared, turning her nose away from him maturely.

She heard a muffled chuckle from behind his mask and she poked him in the side.

"I'm going to hide our stuff," he announced. "Now that we have names, I think it's best that we get going. I'd really rather not get caught in here."

"Okay, but why? Won't it not matter if we're wearing disguises?"

"Think about how it would look if someone came by and found a female soldier locked in an equipment room with a male soldier."

"Oh. Point taken."

Zuko stashed their bags and his swords in the far back of the cabinet where he'd found the ink and then met her by the door. From here on, anything could happen. "Ready?" he asked, looking at her through the dark eyes of his mask.

She nodded determinedly. "Ready."

oO0Oo

Hooray! Ten chapters down!

I wanted to have this up on Monday, but my interwebz crapped out. It was very distressing.

In this chapter many people have trouble sleeping and Katara has another weirdass dream. We also get our first tiny glimpse into Azulaland through Ty Lee, who has been bullied into helping her again.

Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! They are my cake and ice cream.

Next chapter: Zuko and Katara attempt to blend in with the crew, and Katara finds the experience _slightly_ different than she expected. There will be booze.


	11. I'm on a Boat!

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Eleven

I'm on a Boat!

Katara could tell when they passed into the more frequented sections of the ship, because the hallways got wider and the number of pipes along the walls and ceiling dramatically decreased.

Next to her, Zuko walked proudly and purposefully, but she knew that he was just as on edge as she was. It wasn't long after leaving the equipment room that he'd discovered just what ship they were on.

Apparently it was part of an elite fleet known as the Western Raiders, a division of the Fire Nation navy responsible for the majority of the attacks on the Earth Kingdom's western shores. Zuko had never dealt with them directly, but he said they had quite a reputation within the military. When she asked what he meant by that, he explained that they were known for being a little rowdy and unruly. They were dependable in battle, but the crews were comprised mainly of younger soldiers looking for a bit of excitement and glory. In short, they were a bunch of hooligans.

They were walking down a particularly long corridor when they heard the dull clank of boots on metal up ahead, and a moment later an older man in officers' attire rounded the corner. Remembering Zuko's instructions, Katara straightened her back and squared her soldiers and did her best top feign confidence as they continued walking, but even despite the armor and mask, she felt terribly exposed.

When they were about ten feet away, they stepped to the side and bowed respectfully, holding that position as the officer passed.

Just when she thought they were in the clear, the officer stopped and turned back to them with raised eyebrows. "The two of you on patrol?" he asked, sounding somewhat surprised. Now that he was closer, she could see that he wore a lieutenant's badge.

"Yes sir," Zuko answered quickly, and after a beat he added, "You can never be too careful, sir."

The old officer nodded his head approvingly. "True words, soldier," he said in his creaky, old-person voice, "Perhaps this ship hasn't completely gone to the rabiroos. I tell you, back in Fire Lord Azulon's day, soldiers had discipline," he groused, shaking his head. Then he smiled and winked. "Keep up the good work and maybe someday you'll wear one of these, eh?" He pointed at his lieutenant's insignia proudly.

"Yes sir!" Zuko said with proper enthusiasm.

The old officer nodded again and they bowed low as the he continued on his way.

When she was sure he was gone, Katara turned to Zuko and said, "That man was surprisingly friendly."

Zuko didn't say anything at first. He was still looking off down the hall where the lieutenant had disappeared. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of wonder. "He was one of my uncle's men."

"Really? You recognized him?"

He shook his head. "No, but that badge he was wearing... the flame had a dragon tail. That was Uncle's personal mark."

They continued walking, a little less wary now that they knew their disguises were effective. It ended up not mattering that much anyway, because they didn't encounter anybody else. They arrived at the door to the crew's sleeping quarters, or "bunk room" as Zuko had called it, and Katara steeled herself for whatever lay beyond. Hopefully all of the soldiers were asleep already and they could just quietly sneak in and find some open beds.

Zuko opened the door, and she was relieved when they weren't immediately impaled by fifty spears. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she peered inside. Beyond was an impressively large chamber stuffed with a haphazard array of bunk beds and futons, most of which, she was surprised to find, were empty. The total number of beds had to be close to hundred, but she didn't think any more than twenty were currently occupied. There were four men awake and chatting quietly on the beds nearest to the door and the others were scattered about the room, some asleep on futons and the rest hidden by privacy curtains that all of the bunk bed looked to be equipped with.

They stepped into the room and the men near the door looked up and waved genially before going back to their conversation, not even giving them another glance. They walked toward the back of the room, being careful not to make too much noise, and picked a bunk bed that was far away as possible from the room's other occupants.

"Where is everyone?" she asked quietly, seating herself on the bottom bunk. Zuko was right, these beds were not very comfortable.

"It's not all that late yet. They're probably off in the lounge or the mess hall," he said as he glanced around the room. "Wait here, I'll get us some nightclothes."

She watched him weave through the beds to the far wall where a built-in shelf held stacks of folded red cloth. He returned with two thin, sleeveless shirts and matching pants. "There's a bathroom right over there if you want," he suggested, pointing to a door on the same wall their bed was set against. She could see the kanji for 'woman' painted in red on the metal.

At least the boys and the girls had separate bathrooms.

"Are you sure that's safe? If I change in there, everyone will see my face when I come out."

"I don't think you need to worry too much about that," he said reassuringly, "I doubt anyone will be looking, and there are so many people on these boats that seeing an unfamiliar face is pretty normal." He slipped his mask off so that she could see his face and smiled. "Besides, who's going to expect an intruder all the way out here in Air Nomad territory, right?"

She removed her whole helmet and nodded, returning his smile. "Right."

It felt weird to walk around in the open without her helmet, but the only people in the room who were awake to see her were the four men at the front of the room, and just as Zuko said, they didn't pay her any mind. She supposed that if anyone asked her about her skin or eye color she could just claim to be from the colonies again, although it was still high summer, so having tan skin probably wouldn't attract too much attention. Nobody ever gave her or Sokka any trouble about their skin or eyes when they were hiding in the Fire Nation before.

The bathroom wasn't amazing, but it was nicer than she expected. The toilets were clean and had their own stalls, and there was a long mirror over the counter with the washbasins There were no baths, but there was an area at the back with drains in the floor and nozzles on the ceiling that she recognized as 'showers' from the ship her dad stole.

Deciding it would be best to bathe now while she didn't have company, she stripped and started the water via a lever on the wall. Borrowing some soap from a nearby tray, she used her waterbending to quickly wash her hair and body. The water was pleasantly warm, and she greatly enjoyed the feel of it after so many weeks of washing in a cold fountain. It was also nice to be able to bathe without having to wear her bindings. It was a real nuisance to have to wash around them all the time.

She wondered what Zuko was going to do about bathing. He couldn't very well use the showers with a helmet on. Or eat, for that matter. She was curious how he had managed when he was traveling on Zhao's ship. There was no way he made it all the way to the north pole without eating or bathing. Zuko was always well groomed.

When she was finished dressing and retying her hair, she cleaned her teeth as well as she could without her toothbrush and left the bathroom. The curtain around their bed was partially drawn, and she found Zuko sitting on the bottom bunk, already changed, and unwinding a roll of bandages.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he used his firebending to sever a long strip.

"I'm wrapping this," he said, pointing at his scar. "That way I won't have to keep my helmet on all the time."

Ah. Well that answered that question. She sat down next to him and took the bandage out of his hand. "I'll do it. It'll be easier than trying to wrap it yourself."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment he sighed and nodded. She scooted closer and kneeled beside him, turning his head to fully face her. Not being able to help herself, she cupped her right hand under his jaw and tilted his face up so that she could examine the warped flesh. He tried to pull away, but she used her other hand on the back of his head to hold it firmly in place. He was physically much stronger than her, and if he really wanted to, he could push her off. But he didn't, and she took the opportunity to look at his scar close up for the first time since their imprisonment in Ba Sing Se.

"Your dad did this?" she asked seriously. It was a question she'd been dying to ask since hearing Azula's threat two mornings ago. She'd always wondered how he got it, they all had, but nobody had wanted to be the one to bring it up. She knew that it was a sensitive subject for him, and even though she mistrusted him, she respected his right to privacy on this matter.

But what Azula had suggested... she couldn't simply let it go.

"It doesn't mat-"

Her eyes narrowed and she cut him off by roughly shaking his head and saying, in a harsh whisper, "Dammit, Zuko! It _does_ matter." She was tired of him dismissing everything like that. Her dad was right, he shouldn't be bottling these things up, and she wasn't going to let him. She looked him straight in his eyes and asked again. "Did your father do this to you?"

His eyes hardened and he looked back at her inimically. "You heard Azula. What's the point of even asking me?"

"I don't trust Azula."

"You don't trust me either," he snapped.

She held back a wince at the venom in his tone. He did have a point though.

"Yes, my own father burned off half my face. And before you say anything; yes, it was terrible, yes, it was intentional, and no, I didn't deserve it. Are you satisfied? Is your curiosity appeased?" he asked bitingly.

This was the first time since Zuko had joined their side that he had shown any real anger toward her. Rather than feeling alarmed, however, Katara was a little relieved. The Zuko she knew had a temper, and the fact that he hadn't lashed out at her at all in the past two weeks despite how badly she treated him had just made her all the more suspicious. Knowing that he was hiding his anger only made her wonder what else he was hiding.

"Why?" she questioned, not backing down like she knew he expected her to.

He looked momentarily surprised at her persistence. They had a sort of staring contest for several seconds before he said, "You wouldn't understand."

He was trying to dodge the issue again, and she wasn't having it. "I'll be the judge of that," she asserted.

It occurred to her that if he really didn't want to tell her, that was his right, and she really had no business pressing him about it. But she wanted to understand him better, and she wanted to know what kind of person Fire Lord Ozai was. Clearly that scar was no accident, but what reason could someone possibly have to maim their own child? Just what kind of monster did a person have to be, to even consider such a thing, much less do it?

And why would Zuko want to go back to someone like that?

She lowered her left hand but continued to cup his jaw with her right, keeping his face angled toward her. She gave him a sincere look and said, "Please, Zuko."

Gentle impetrating obviously worked better than demanding, because he sighed and she saw his resistance fade. He put his hand over her wrist and turned his face down and away. "Do you know why I was banished?" he asked.

"You told my dad that you spoke out against a general in a meeting."

Zuko's lips thinned into a grimace for a moment, and then he said, "That general wanted to intentionally send newly recruited soldiers to their deaths. His plan was to let the enemy forces slaughter them, which would create an opening for a group of more experienced soldiers to sneak in."

Her eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in outrage. "You're kidding!" she exclaimed, barely managing to keep her voice low, but it was obvious that he wasn't. "That's terrible!"

"That's why I spoke out against him," he agreed, "But my father didn't appreciate that, so he ordered me to face the man I disrespected in an Agni Kai." He saw the uncomprehending look on her face and clarified, "A firebending duel."

Oh. She thought she knew where this was going. "You said before that questioning a general is the same as questioning the Fire Lord. Does that mean..?"

"Yes, I had to duel my father," he confirmed. "Of course, nobody told _me_ that. I thought I was going to face the general."

"No one told you? Ozai just let you think that you were going to fight someone else?"

Zuko scoffed. "Let me? He deliberately set it up so that I would think that." His lips turned up into a joyless smile. "He always did possess a flair for the dramatic."

"That's depraved," she stated, shaking her head, "Forcing you to fight him unprepared and injuring you like this." She looked down. "Horrible."

"I didn't fight him."

Her eyes snapped back up to his face. "What? Then how...?"

"I begged for forgiveness. He commanded me to fight him, but I refused. He gave me _this_," he pointed at his scar, "to teach me respect."

Katara's mouth fell open and she stared at him disbelievingly.

That's what this was about?Respect?

No! No, it wasn't! Giving a child a timeout was about respect. This had nothing _at all _to do with respect. This was about something else entirely. She didn't know what it was, but she did know that Ozai was sick in the head. Very sick. And at that moment she felt the most extreme loathing for him.

"You're right. I don't understand," she said, focusing her gaze on his scar again, "And I hope I never do." She ran her thumb over the damaged tissue under his eye and he flinched, jerking away from her.

"I don't want your pity," he snapped, turning his head so that only the right side was visible.

His defensiveness caused her to frown. "I don't pity you," she chuckled humorlessly, "I'm _angry_ for you. I don't care who Ozai is; the Fire Lord, your father, it doesn't matter. What he did was completely unacceptable. I'm shocked that a man like him is allowed to rule a country!" Again, she had to fight to keep her voice down.

For once, she was glad that Zuko had joined them. Because regardless of his possible motives, he needed to get out of there. Aang had her and the rest of their friends to protect him from Zuko, but from the sounds of things, there was nobody in the Fire Nation protecting Zuko from Ozai.

He studied her with his good eye for a long moment, and she wondered what he was thinking. Then he looked away and said, in a calmer, less barbed tone, "I don't need you to be angry for me." His hands fell from his lap to grip the mattress. "I gave him a piece of my mind the day I left."

In her opinion, Fire Lord Ozai deserved a lot more than just a piece of Zuko's mind, but she was glad that Zuko had stood up to him nonetheless. She got the impression people didn't do that often. '_If __**I **__ever meet him...'_ she thought darkly. She didn't care if he was scary as all get out, he would get a piece of **her** mind, and right now her mind was conjuring up some _very interesting_ ideas about gonads and strife. "We'll give him better than that when we face him during our next invasion," she declared, grinding her fist into her palm.

Zuko looked startled for a moment, but then he gave her a ghost of a smile and said, "I don't doubt it."

"Good. Now give me your head. I still need to bandage you."

He hesitated but complied, and she wrapped the white cloth around his head until all of the damaged skin was safely hidden and then tied the ends securely behind his head. When she was done, she scooted back to get a better look at him.

"Aren't people going to be suspicious when they see this?" she asked. Really, how were they going to explain a such a severe facial injury on an unmoving boat so far from enemy territory?

"Probably not," he said, sounding unworried. "Training accidents happen all the time."

She hadn't thought of that. "Well what about the rest of you? You're not worried about being recognized?"

He crossed his ankles and sighed. "The thing about having a huge scar on your face," he said, pointing at his covered eye, "is that people only focus on that. Even if someone on this ship had seen me before, and I would be surprised if any of them have, they wouldn't know me without it."

"But you're their prince," she protested, confused by his surety. Shouldn't his people know his face? Especially after the brouhaha surrounding his return from exile. The Fire Nation had been all abuzz about his supposed _dispatching_ of the Avatar.

"I'm sure they have a general idea of what I look like, from paintings and whatnot," he agreed, "but half the people on the ship probably look like me."

She highly doubted that. Zuko wasn't what she'd call average looking. Firstly, and most obviously, he was damn pretty. There was just no getting around the fact that he was a very attractive man, and she should know, she'd _tried_. But another other thing that set him apart was his eyes. Yellow eyes were a distinguishing feature of his people to be sure, but they were still fairly uncommon. Most of the Fire Nation people she'd met had brown eyes or tea-colored eyes, but even among those possessing the distinctive saffron eyes of his nation, Zuko's stood out. They were such a pure gold, no hint of darker shades like brown or grey. She wondered if Ozai's eyes were like that. Or his mother's. Azula and his uncle both had very dark eyes.

She saw his point though. An illustration wasn't much to go on, and none of the people on this boat had any reason to believe that their prince was here with them.

"We should probably try to get some sleep now, while it's still peaceful in here," he suggested, pulling her from her musings. "Navy soldiers can get pretty rowdy after a long night in the lounge." He abruptly stood and said, "You can sleep here if you want. I'll take the top bunk."

She nodded. She really didn't care which bunk she got, but it was sweet of him to give her the easier option.

He was always doing that. Quietly doing nice things for her – making her a personal fruit plate, saving her from being found by Aang, giving her his cloak to sleep under, letting her have the better bunk – and he always did these things in a way that left her little room to refuse. Rather than asking if she wanted something, he'd just give it to her. If something needed to be done, he'd do it. She'd expected him to act spoiled and stuck up like Toph had when she first joined them, but Zuko was like the _anti-Toph._ At first she thought he was just making a show of being extra nice and helpful to gain their trust, but he never made a big production of it. In fact, he seemed to be trying _not_ to call attention to himself.

He climbed up and fully closed the curtain, blocking out the dim light from the wall sconces. She fumbled around for the edge of the blanket and slipped under, feeling the warmth on her legs from the spot where he'd been sitting.

She laid her head on the stiff pillow and stared up at the underside of the bunk above her, listening to him shift around as he tried to get comfortable. The noise helped sooth her lingering anxiety. It was assurance that if there was any trouble during the night, he was right there to help her.

For once, it didn't even occur to her to doubt that he would.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>When Azula told her that she'd taken care of locating Zuko for her, Ty Lee had expected to be given directions and maybe a map.<p>

She had _not_ expected the huge brown beast that was currently downing whole steaks like they were fireflakes.

Azula had called it a shirshu and said that they were very rare. Apparently they could track anything by scent, even things that were all the way across the world. This one was a female named Lulu, and even though they'd only been traveling together for a day, Ty Lee thought she and Lulu had hit it off rather well.

"So, you like steak?" she asked it, from atop a tall tree.

Lulu growled menacingly.

"Oh, me too," she responded conversationally. "Hey, do you think when you're done, we could maybe put the muzzle back on?"

Lulu took a vicious swipe at the tree, causing it to shake alarmingly.

"Okay, that's fine. I'll just ask again later," she called down.

Yep, it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>For the third morning in a row, Katara opened her eyes to see Zuko staring at her. He was already wearing his uniform.<p>

He smiled when he saw that she was awake. "Get dressed," he instructed quietly, "We're going to go get breakfast."

She sat up and poked her head around him to look at the rest of the room. The image was very different from when they'd gone to bed. The floor was littered with the bodies of slumbering men and women, and the other bunk beds all had their curtains drawn. "What time is it?" she asked, looking back at him and stifling a yawn.

"Dawn."

That figured. Stupid firebenders and their– wait... "Why are we the only ones up? Don't firebenders _rise with the sun_?" she asked, raising a brow at him.

Zuko smirked slightly and looked over his shoulder at the veritable battlefield of snoozing soldiers. "I challenge anyone to rise with the sun after a night like theirs."

Her other brow rose at that. What did he mean, a night like theirs? Did they all do a really intense group workout or something?

She removed the red nightclothes and dressed in her uniform, and once again Zuko looked away, although he did seem slightly less embarrassed this time. He waited while she stopped by the bathroom, and then they donned their helmets and quietly picked their way across the floor to the door.

The mess hall was on the next floor up. It was even bigger than the bunk room, and lined with long metal tables. There were just a few other people, and they were already eating. Katara was pleased to find the place filled with natural light from large windows that covered the lengths of two adjacent walls.

Zuko led her over to the serving area where a nice looking assortment of breakfasty foods were laid out. He handed her a tray from a large stack and informed her that she could take anything she wanted.

There was a lot to choose from, and it all looked pretty good. She'd been expecting to just be handed some local variation of slop over rice, but instead there were rolls and fruits and tarts and dumplings and even a surprisingly delicious smelling vat of porridge. She ladled herself a bowl of the porridge and also took a red bean dumpling and a small plate of sliced mango. Zuko joined her, and she was privately amused when she saw that his tray was filled with fruit and custard tarts.

She was totally right.

They poured themselves some tea – she couldn't tell what kind it was, but it smelled spicy – and went to the tables to find seats. As they approached the windows, she got a good look at the clear morning sky and the calm sea, and as she watched, a toucan-puffin flew up next to the window, gliding in time with the pace of the ship. Funny, she didn't think toucan-puffins lived this far north.

"We're moving," she pointed out in a whisper.

"Yeah, they must've received their orders," Zuko whispered back. "It's a good thing we got on last night."

They were just about to sit down when someone called, "Hey, you two!"

They both froze.

"You, with the helmets!"

They glanced at each other fearfully – well, she glanced at him fearfully. She had to assume that he wore a similar expression under his helmet. As one, they turned toward the origin of the voice.

Sitting at a table next to one of the windows on the adjacent wall was a small group of soldiers: a woman and two men. One of the men was waving at them. "You guys wanna come sit with us?" he invited, "The more the merrier, right?"

She quickly glanced at Zuko again but couldn't read him at all. Thinking it might seem suspicious if they refused, she nodded and called back, "Sure."

She began walking toward their table and Zuko rushed up to step beside her. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Apparently he disagreed with her decision.

"I thought it would look bad if we refused," she whispered back.

"We're trying to _not_ call attention to ourselves!" he argued.

"Exactly."

She knew Zuko wanted to argue further, but they'd already arrived at the table and he was forced to hold his tongue. They set their trays down next to the man who'd called them over, across from the other two. The soldiers gave them friendly smiles as they sat down. The man next to her had his hair bound like Zuko's, and she couldn't help but notice that his face had a sort of manly handsomeness to it. She had a feeling he was popular with the ladies. The other man was also easy on the eyes, although in a different way than his friend. He was taller and more narrowly built, and he wore his hair short. The woman had a pleasant face and a pretty smile.

All in all, they were not what Katara had been expecting. She'd imagined the soldiers on a raiding boat as being a bunch of standoffish, unfriendly looking men with scars and stabby things, like knives and swords. So far, the only person she'd seen who came close to that description was Zuko. Huh.

"The two of you are up early," the man next to her commented. "Decided not to partake in the nightly ritual?"

She had no idea what he was talking about, but Zuko saved them by saying, "No, we preferred to sleep."

The man across the table nodded and said, "You picked a good night for it. I'll bet my helmet that tonight's gonna be crazy. Once everyone hears the news."

She wanted ask _what news? _but then the woman said, "Speaking of helmets, are you two really going to eat like that?"

"Yeah, who wears a helmet around here anyway? It's not like we're gonna be attacked," the long haired soldier added, grinning at them.

Katara was unsure what to do. They didn't want to stand out by being the only soldiers wearing helmets, but they'd be exposing themselves if they took them off.

Then again, she supposed these people were going to see their faces anyway, since they had to remove their masks in order to eat.

She looked at Zuko and nodded at him subtly. He let out a small sigh, which she took as a go-ahead, and she tugged the helmet off and set it out of the way.

"Ooh, you're a cute little bird, aren't you?" the long haired man remarked, giving her a dazzling smile.

"An exotic little bird," the other added, looking at her eyes. "Do you have a name, blue jay?"

She felt her face heat up under their scrutiny. "K– Zora," she replied, catching herself before she accidentally gave them her real name.

"Zora, huh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Zora," long-hair said, taking her hand and kissing it suavely. If she wasn't blushing before, she most certainly was now. Next to her, Zuko cleared his throat.

"Careful, Chen, you're pissing off her boyfriend," his friend warned teasingly.

"Boyfriend?" she asked, confused, then she realized that he was referring to Zuko. "Who, him?" she asked incredulously, "He's not my boyfriend."

"Ooh, ouch!" the one named Chen exclaimed, mock-wincing.

The woman chuckled, and then to Zuko, said, "So, what's your name?"

Zuko hesitated a moment, and she could tell that he was feeling very uncomfortable. Finally he took his own helmet off and answered, "Lee."

The woman's face turned to shock when she saw him, and in that moment, she was sure he'd been recognized.

"You're–" she began, and Katara sucked in a breath, preparing to enlist all of the water in the room to defend them, "–single?"

She nearly fell onto her tray.

Before Zuko could say anything, the short-haired man whistled and said, "That's some injury. What happened?"

Zuko didn't miss a beat. "Foul blow," he said simply.

_Foul blow, indeed_, she thought.

The group looked at him sympathetically. "Damn, no kidding," Chen remarked. "What's the damage?"

Again, Zuko didn't falter at all and just said, "It's fine. The doctor assured me that I'd still be able to see."

"It didn't hurt your vision? That's lucky," short-hair said with a smile.

This time Zuko's gaze flickered down to his tray. "...Yeah."

Something about that _...yeah_ raised a red flag in her head.

"Oh, hey, we haven't introduced ourselves yet," Chen said suddenly. "My name's Piao, but most people just call me by my family name, Chen."

"I'm Zhu," short-hair introduced, pointing to himself with his thumb.

"And I'm Lan," the woman finished.

Katara gave them each a smile and said "Nice to meet you."

"So, how come I've never seen you around before?" Chen asked her, wiggling his eyebrows flirtatiously. "I usually make a point of familiarizing myself with our crew's lovely ladies."

She felt her cheeks heating again. She was unused to boys being so forward with her. This guy could've given Jet a run for his money. "That's because... um..." She tried to think of a believable answer, but her flustered mind was drawing nothing but blanks.

Zuko came to her rescue again. "We spend most of our time below deck," he said quickly, but she noticed his gaze slide down to his tray again. "With the, ah... komodo rhinos. Zora loves komodo rhinos."

He looked at her beseechingly and she nodded, perhaps a tad too enthusiastically, and said, "Yeah, I just can't get enough of them. Komodo rhinos." Just for good measure, she followed this statement with a cringeworthy attempt at pleasant laughter. Spirits, she was transparent.

"Well you can't do that today," Lan said, and amazingly, there was no suspicion in her tone.

"We can't?" she asked, confused.

"Of course not," Lan answered, shaking her head with an amused smile. "You can't spend your last day at sea cooped up with rhinos."

"We're arriving at the Earth Kingdom tomorrow?" She hadn't expected to get there so soon. The closest port town was a long way from the western Air Nomad territory.

"Earth Kingdom?" Zhu asked, raising his eyebrows, "You mean you haven't heard the news?"

Beside her, Zuko frowned. "What news?"

"There was a huge announcement posted on the bulletin this morning," he said, spreading his arms widely to emphasize its size. "From this point on, the Western Raiders are no more. We've been summoned back to the homeland to join the Fire Lord's imperial air fleet."

"We're being promoted!" Chen summed up excitedly.

Katara and Zuko looked at each other in shock. They weren't going to the Earth Kingdom after all. They were going to the Fire Nation.

And they were arriving tomorrow.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Twinkletoes, get your head out of the clouds and <em>earthbend<em>!" Toph barked, chucking a large boulder at her distracted pupil.

Aang nimbly dodged the projectile chunk of crushy death and sent a similar, albeit smaller, boulder back at her, which she effortlessly pulled from the air and shattered into gravel. He frowned and pulled up a wall of solid earth, pushing it toward her, but she just scoffed and parted his wall like she would a window curtain.

"You call that bending?" she gibed, "Haru has a better chance of defeating the Fire Lord!"

Aang glared at her in frustration. "I'm trying!"

"Trying? Don't make me laugh. Your heart's not in this at all."

"She's right, Aang," Sokka piped up from the sidelines, where he'd been watching and snacking on nuts with Suki. "I may not know a lot about earthbending or whatever, but you're usually a lot better than this."

Aang stared at the ground in front of his feet and sighed. "I'm just worried about Katara and Zuko." He raised his head and looked at them all earnestly. "I can't stop thinking about how they might be in trouble, and that we should be out there looking for them. It's been two days and we haven't seen any sign of Azula at all. Why are we still waiting?"

Sokka looked away with a pained expression. He agreed with Aang. He desperately wanted to search for his sister. He couldn't stand not knowing where she was, or if she was safe. She was strong, and he trusted Zuko to help look out for her, but he knew that might not be enough. If he could, he would hop on Appa right now and find them, but he couldn't justify risking everyone's safety like that. He looked back at Aang and said, "I hate this too, but it's still just too big a risk."

"I think you should go." Everyone, save Toph, looked up at the sound of Hakoda's voice.

"Dad?"

"It's alright, Sokka," he said, smiling encouragingly, "We can handle ourselves for a few hours."

Sokka looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"

"Like Aang said, we haven't seen hide nor hair of the princess since we left the temple. And even if she did show up, we have three benders and the Avatar. We'll keep."

Sokka was still unsure, but then Suki nodded at him with confident smile and that was all the convincing he needed. He grinned widely and stood, pulling her up with him. "We'll be back before sundown," he declared, and without another word, they hurried off to prepare Appa.

Aang frowned after them. "But I wanted to-" A rock whizzed past his nose, interrupting him.

"Sorry, Twinkletoes," Toph stated, not sounding at all sorry, "You've got training to do."

Aang sighed but relented, and the lesson resumed. Still, he just couldn't seem to focus on earthbending at the moment.

How was he supposed to concentrate on mastering the elements when his friends were missing? How could he be expected to just wait patiently while Sokka and Suki searched without him?

Ever since he'd seen Katara surrounded by fire in his nightmares before the eclipse, he'd worried endlessly for her safety. He knew now that he'd been smothering her a bit, but he couldn't help but fear for her. He worried about all of his friends, but Katara was extra special to him. She was his forever girl.

Toph scowled as her pupil mindlessly dodged another of her attacks. This was getting ridiculous. She knew Aang was worried, and he had every right to be; on _his own_ time.

"Stop dodging and fight me!" she commanded, kicking the ground frustratedly.

Instead of protesting like before, Aang just plopped down on the ground and slumped his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Toph. You were right. My heart just isn't in this right now." He put the heal of his hand to his forehead and furrowed his eyebrows. "I need to know that she's safe, Toph."

Toph relaxed out of her bending position and walked over to where he sat, intending to beat him into action, but then she had an idea.

If Aang was so determined to be worried, then she would give him something to worry about.

Using her most reassuring voice, she said, "Look, Aang, Katara's fine. Sparky will keep her safe. He's _always watching_ her, after all." Line cast.

Aang sat up a little straighter, and she knew he'd taken her bait. "He is?"

She ignored him and continued, inwardly smirking, "And it's not like there's anyone else on that island for them to worry about. Just them. Him and her. Completely alone."

"Completely alone," Aang repeated, "...together."

"Exactly, so there's absolutely nothing to be concerned about," she assured him innocently. "Personally, I can think of worse things than being stuck all alone with a strong, _devoted_ firebender, especially one as _helpful_ as Sparky. I'll bet he does all kinds of nice things for her," she crossed her arms behind her head, "lighting campfires, finding food, comforting her, keeping her _warm_ at night..." Perhaps she was laying it on a bit thick, but she'd been suffering from meddle withdrawal since they left the temple.

Aang's worry turned to suspicion and then to dread. Toph sensed the conflict within him and barely suppressed her grin. She just couldn't help herself. This was what she lived for.

Really though, she was doing Aang a favor. If there was one thing Toph had learned since Zuko joined their team, it was that the firebender clearly had a deep emotional attachment to Katara. She wasn't sure exactly how to define that attachment, but she knew it was far more complex and intimate than Aang's twelve-year-old crush. Aang needed to be aware that there could very well be adversity ahead for him, should he continue to pursue her.

_Princey might not want to let her go._

"You don't think that he'd... you know..." Aang trailed off, fidgeting anxiously.

"That he'd what?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Try to..." he trailed off again and shook his head. "Never mind. I know he'd never do that to me." He got up and started walking back to camp. "I'm going to go help Teo with his glider designs."

Toph finally allowed herself a smirk as he left. He could say whatever he wanted, but the seed of doubt had been planted.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?"

Ah, right. She'd forgotten about Water-Papa.

She shrugged. "It's for his own good. Just because he wants to be with her doesn't mean it's gonna happen. Better he realize that now than be completely crushed when she rejects him."

"What makes you think she'll reject him?" Hakoda asked somewhat curiously.

She shrugged again. "Maybe she won't. Who knows? But I'm not gonna hold my breath."

Hakoda was silent for a moment, then he said, "And Zuko... Is he...?"

She smirked. "Again, who knows?"

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Screw fitting in, they should've just gone to bed.<p>

That was Zuko's thought as he shoved through the throngs of people in the lounge, searching for any sign of Katara. She had disappeared not long after they arrived with their new "friends". The female soldier had led her away while he had been distracted by the two men, and now he couldn't find her anywhere.

A fire navy lounge was not a good place to lose an innocent young woman. Especially one as attractive as Katara. Her looks were sure to draw attention from the male population and he feared what might happen to her. She lacked experience in this sort of setting, and she wouldn't know how to handle herself like the other women. Katara was smart and self-aware, but she was also trusting and friendly, and he cursed himself for letting her out of his sight.

He reached the back of the room where a group of slightly older soldiers had set up instruments and were providing lively music for the rest of the partygoers. He'd hoped to get a better view of the area from there, but all he saw was a hopelessly vast sea of partially inebriated sailors.

He cursed under his breath and pushed his way back into the crowd.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara sat on a raised cushion, surrounded by a group of nearly a dozen unfamiliar faces. Lan had briefly introduced each of them before leaving to grab them some drinks, but Katara had been too nervous to remember any of their names.<p>

When Lan had told her that she wanted her to meet some friends, Katara had assumed they were just going to say hi and then go back to the others. Now she was regretting leaving. Zuko probably had no idea where she was, and she was feeling insecure, being alone with all of these strangers. Not to mention she was right smack in the den of the enemy.

To make matters worse, the lounge was noisy and stuffy, and despite having removed the heavy armor from her uniform before they came, she was beginning to feel uncomfortably hot.

Luckily, Lan returned shortly. She took a seat on the empty cushion next to her and handed her a large, cool glass cup filled with a bright red, fruity smelling liquid.

"What's this?" she asked swirling the drink around curiously.

Lan gave her disbelieving look. "You've never had a Fire Lady? Wow, you really do spend all your time with rhinos."

Unfortunately, the rest of the group heard her say this, and now everyone was looking at them with interest. Katara blushed and mentally reprimanded herself for her mistake. Could she be any more suspicious?

"Rhinos?" one of the soldiers questioned, sharing an amused look with the man to his left.

Across from her, another one of the group, a tall, attractive woman with long black hair and copper eyes, leaned forward and said, "If you like being around big smelly animals then you should feel right at home up here." She gestured to the gathered menfolk with a smirk.

"Hey now! I didn't hear you complaining last night in the linen closet," a third man shot back with a smirk of his own. His comment was followed by a collective "Ooooh" from the other men.

"Keep dreaming, Lao. I wouldn't touch you with a twenty-foot pole," the black haired woman responded, tossing back a small glass of amber colored liquid that Katara was certain wasn't tea. This time the "Ooooh" was directed at Lao, and came from both the men and the women.

Katara took a sip of her drink, relieved that their attention was no longer on her. The flavor was nectarous; sweet, like ripe pears; but there was distinct burning sensation as she swallowed that caused a tingling heat to spread through her mouth. She wondered if that was the reason it was called a Fire Lady. She had a few more sips and felt the heat creeping up to her cheeks.

"Good?" Lan asked, sipping her own Fire Lady.

Katara smiled and nodded. "It's delicious."

"Right? Sweet but strong, just like a real Fire Lady. Not that we've had one in last thirty years."

The black haired woman snorted at that and poured herself another drink from a long bottle. "We're not going to have one either, since Fire Lord Ozai won't take a new wife and Prince Zuko can't seem to stay unbanished long enough to marry," she said, kicking her legs up over the arm of her chair so that she was lounging at an angle.

"Or straight enough," the one called Lao added, to the snickering of his fellow men.

Katara nearly choked on her drink. Recovering quickly, she announced with much incredulity, "Zuko's not gay." This earned her a few skeptical looks, and she realized too late that she'd unthinkingly referred to their prince without proper formality.

Luckily, she was saved by Lan, who said, "Yeah, those rumors were disproved when he returned with that nobleman's daughter."

This bit of information caused Katara to frown. There were rumors? And what nobleman's daughter?

Lao snorted. "They were together for what, two months? He didn't even use her. You have to be a fool to buy such an obvious cover."

_Use_ her? Katara had to bite back words indignation at the man's flagrant chauvinism. And why was he so convinced that Zuko was gay? As far as she had seen, Zuko had never shown any romantic interest in other men. Then again, she hadn't seen him show any romantic interest in any women either... Actually, she was surprised to hear that he'd had a girlfriend. She couldn't quite picture it.

The black haired woman laughed out loud and pointed her bottle at him. "Like how you sleeping with as many different women as you can is a cover?" This prompted more laughter from the rest of the group, and even Katara couldn't contain a chuckle. Normally she wouldn't laugh at such a thing, but suddenly everything was funny to her. She raised her glass for another sip, but was disappointed to find that it was empty.

Just then, Chen appeared carrying a large tray of tall, narrow glasses filled with a goldish-brown liquid. "Ember Island Iced Teas for the ladies," he announced suavely, bringing the tray around so that they could each take a glass.

When he got to her, he winked and said, "Lee's been looking everywhere for you."

Lan nudged her with her elbow and said, "Ooh, he's worried about you. How _sweet_."

Katara ignored her teasing and rose to her feet. "I should be getting back to him," she stated, trying to sound apologetic. It didn't help that the room wouldn't quite stay still.

Lan reached for her arm and tugged her back down. "He'll have a better chance of finding you if you stay here than if you disappear into the crowd," she stated sensibly, "Just relax and enjoy your drink."

"Who's Lee?" the black haired woman asked curiously.

Lan gave the woman a impish grin and said, "He's delicious."

Katara felt herself blush for the umpteenth time that day. What, was he edible? Who uses an adjective like delicious to describe a person? She wiped the sweat off her brow and took a long drink of her tea, vainly hoping to wash the other girl's words from her brain. It didn't work.

Unbidden, her imagination produced an image of herself licking Zuko's pale chest, tasting the skin over his collarbone, sinking her teeth into the smooth curve of his neck... Her breathing quickened and she felt heat pooling in her stomach.

Across the room a tsungi horn player hit a sour note and Katara was snapped out of her fantasy. She shook her head. Sweet Tui and La, what was that?

"Wow, Zora, you downed half your glass," Lan said, impressed.

Katara blinked and looked down at her drink, finding it was true.

"Speaking of, my bottle's empty," the black haired woman lamented, holding it upside down as proof. Then she grinned, and looking around at the gathered soldiers she said loudly, "You all know what that means."

There were looks of comprehension and excitement at these words, followed by an enthusiastic chorus of "Spin it!"

Katara watched them, confused, and her vision swam alarmingly. It was like looking through warped glass.

She wished Zuko would hurry up and find her. She was in desperate need of some fresh air.

The woman placed the bottle on the ground, and seats were scooted in order to form a circle around it. "Here goes," she said, giving the empty bottle an expert twist with her fingers.

The bottle spun round and round, and Katara followed the motion along with everyone else, wondering what was supposed to happen. When it finally stopped, everyone turned to look at the person its nose was nose was pointed toward. It was one of the men who had made an amused face when Lan mentioned Rhinos.

"Din! Haha! Good luck, man," his friend said, clapping him on the back.

Din groaned and looked beseechingly up at the ceiling. "Please, Agni, let it be a woman this time."

Now even more confused, Katara watched as the bottle was spun again, this time with even greater audience interest. She absently took another sip of her drink as the bottle slowed and finally came to a stop, this time pointing at her.

"Oho! Looks like Agni heard you, buddy," Lao said, giving Din a thumbs up.

"Oooh, Zora!" Lan nudged her again.

Katara looked around the circle unsurely, wondering if anyone was going to tell her what was going on. Din put his drink down and stood up from his seat, smoothing his uniform and straightening his topknot before walking through the center of the circle to where she was sitting. He gave a her a once over before offering her a smile, which she politely returned. He was a pretty average looking guy; dark brown hair and chestnut eyes, though she was having a hard time focusing on any one part of him, as the fuzz in her brain was making her feel lightheaded and dizzy.

"Go for it, Din!" someone called.

Din shot them a grin. Then he was gripping her shoulders and leaning in, almost as if he were planning to...

A hand shot out from behind her and covered the man's mouth, pushing him roughly back. "Don't touch her," she heard Zuko's voice growl near her head. She turned around and saw her companion's face set in a stormy expression, his visible eye glinting warningly.

"Hey! Who do you think you-" Din's friend started, but Lan cut him off with a chipper exclamation of "Lee!" accompanied by a wave.

"See, Zora? I told you he'd find you," she said with a wink.

"That's Lee?" the black haired woman asked, looking Zuko up an down appreciatively, "Damn."

Zuko seemed not to notice them, or perhaps he just ignored them. He laid a hand on her arm and asked, "Are you okay?"

The intensity in his expression surprised her, and she just nodded dumbly. He glanced down at the nearly empty glass in her hand and then to the completely empty glass next to her cushion before taking her face in his hands and tilting it up into the light. She didn't fight him. She simply watched his face curiously as he moved her head from side to side and studied her eyes.

"You're drunk," he said, frowning disapprovingly and taking the glass from her hand.

"Drunk?" she repeated, giving him a disbelieving look, "That's impossible."

He gave her a skeptical look. "You just put away two very hard drinks," he said incredulously, "Of course it's possible."

It took a moment for her brain to catch up with his words, but when it did, her eyes widened. "Those drinks had alcohol in them?"

There was an explosion of laughter from the group, and she felt suddenly very foolish. If she were in her right mind, she probably would've gotten angry and told them off for laughing at her, but as it was, she felt more flustered than angry. There was a tug on her arm, and as if reading her earlier thoughts, Zuko said, "Come on, let's go get some fresh air."

"Hey now! You can't just take her away," Din's friend declared, "She's in the middle of something." He was backed by nods of agreement from his fellow soldiers.

"She's not interested!" Zuko snapped, glaring back at them coldly.

Katara almost wanted to protest, just because it was her natural reaction when people tried to speak for her, but if that man, Din, was going to do what she thought he was going to do, then Zuko was right, she wasn't interested.

She stood from the cushion but nearly fell back down again when she overshot her center of gravity. She swayed a little, trying to find her balance, and she saw Zuko lift his arms, ready to steady her if needed. She ignored the snickering and chortling of the soldiers, most of whom were taking great delight in watching her struggle.

She let Zuko lead her away through the crowds of boisterous partygoers toward the door. She quickly discovered that walking became a feat when you were drunk. It didn't usually require so much concentration just to travel in a straight line.

The world around her was a whirl of noise and color, and she let her gaze drift from one thing to the next, finding it too hard to focus on multiple things simultaneously. Eventually they arrived out in the hallway, and Katara was glad to leave the bedlam and the hot, stagnant air behind her.

It was a short trip from the lounge to the deck, and the moment they exited the superstructure, Katara felt the invigorating energy of Tui fill her, exciting her chi and escalating her power. She'd forgotten that tonight was a full moon.

The restless feeling returned tenfold, and she felt the muscles in her arms twitch impatiently. She didn't know if it was the alcohol in her system or being surrounded on all sides by miles of her element or simply the full moon, but the need to bend was back with a vengeance. Without realizing it, she'd run to the side of the ship and begun to assume a waterbending stance, but she caught herself just in time. She reminded herself that she couldn't bend here. Even though the deck was empty, they were in plain view of many windows, and waterbending on a ship tended to cause a lot of turbulence.

Zuko came up next to her, and she didn't realize that she was breathing hard until he asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

She turned around to fully face him just as he was raising his hand to put it on her shoulder, causing his fingers to brush over her left breast. She jumped and he quickly retracted his hand, stammering out an apology.

Rather than becoming cross at him like she normally would, she started giggling like a mad person. Zuko was clearly taken aback by this reaction, and he looked at a loss for how to respond to her sudden giggle fit. His baffled expression only made her laugh harder, and she wondered at the power of alcohol, that it could make something as stupid as an accidental boob grope so hilarious.

In an act of impulsiveness, she reached out and brushed her hand over his left pectoral. She heard him suck in a breath, but she was more focused on the feel of his chest under her hand. She gave the area an experimental rub and giggled again when he his breathing hitched. She looked up at him coyly, and said, "There, now we're even."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Zuko stared down at Katara helplessly as she played with his chest, wondering if she even realized what she was doing. The moonlight reflected in her eyes bewitchingly, and he could see power, wild and intense, churning in their depths. It put him on edge and pulled him in at the same time.<p>

Usually, being near her calmed him. Maybe it was because she was his elemental opposite, but her presence gave him relief from the volatile fire within him. Back in the winter, for the short period of time that he carried her necklace, he found that if he held the pale pendant up next to the sun his heart would calm and his mind would clear.

Now she was having the opposite effect. Instead of being soothed, his inner fire flared up to match the intensity he saw in her eyes. His blood heated and seemed to accelerate through his arteries, and he felt a surge of power along his spine.

Katara's hand fell away from his chest, and they just stood there, staring at each other.

Without realizing what he was doing, he lifted his palm to rest over the front of her pelvis. At the same time, she brought her own palm up and laid it over his solar plexus. Immediately, he felt energy gather and swirl at their points of contact; hot where her hand touched him; cold where his hand touched her. His uncovered eye fell closed, and he was all sensation as their hands switched places, his palm traveling up and while hers slid down, leaving a burning trail over his stomach. However, before they could reach their targets, the door to the deck opened and gaggle of drunk soldiers poured out, laughing and gabbing amongst themselves.

Zuko snapped to his senses and pulled away, and Katara did the same. The energy between them flickered and faded away, leaving them to blink at each other in warm night air. He opened his mouth to ask her what in Agni's name that was, but he noticed that she looked just as confused as him.

The group of soldiers caught sight of them, and one of them called out obnoxiously, "Hey, are we interrupting something?" to the snickering of his companions.

Zuko pursed his lips and ignored them. He was still addled from what just happened and had no desire to deal with a bunch of inebriated sailors.

"Oi!" the soldier called again, "I asked you a question!"

Katara looked over at them uncertainly and he put his hand on her shoulder so that she'd look at him instead. He shook his head and said, "Don't acknowledge him. It'll just encourage them."

"You think you're better than us or something, one-eye?" a different soldier goaded, "You think that because you're getting some, you're above us? Is that it?"

He clenched his jaw, but refused to rise to their bait. Every ship a had its share of bellicose punks, and he knew better than to indulge their drunken contentiousness. He'd had a stressful enough evening as it was, losing Katara in the hotbed of the enemy and then finding her intoxicated and about to be molested by some no-name piece of meat. Not to mention whatever the hell it was that just happened to them.

He grabbed her hand and made to move to the door, but he only made it two steps before he encountered resistance. He looked over his shoulder to see Katara still standing there, looking down at their joined hands curiously. He gave her arm a small tug and caught her eyes when she looked up at him, silently urging her to follow. She got the message and let him lead her back across the deck.

As they passed the group, the man who'd called to them first stepped out and blocked Katara's path. He smoothed the hairs in front of his topknot back and, giving her what he must've thought was a sexy look, said glibly, "Listen, dollface, whatever this guy's doing for you," he jabbed his thumb in Zuko's direction, "I can give it _longer_, _faster_, and _harder_, you know what I'm saying?"

That was it for Zuko. This fool had crossed the line. How dare he suggest such a thing to her. How dare he speak to her in such a dishonorable manner. He would show him _longer_, _faster_, and _harder_ when he pummeled him into the cold steel of the deck.

He clenched his fist, preparing to slam it into the guy's stomach, but Katara was a step ahead of him. She raised her free hand and slapped the soldier hard across the face; so hard that his head snapped to the side and he staggered back; and she looked at him with an expression so cold that Zuko almost expected to see the sweat on the man's skin turn to ice.

"You pig. Just how shallow do you think I am?" she asked scathingly, and he was reminded of that first night, when she'd come to his room to threaten him. "I'm not laying with him, and I'm _certainly_ never going to lay with _you_, so bug off and leave us alone." With that, she turned up her nose and swept on by, pulling him with her. The soldiers were too stunned to even react. Zuko didn't blame them. She had just pegged that man right in the face, and her look clearly said that if anyone else attempted to bother her, she would hit them somewhere far less friendly.

They walked back to the bunk room in silence. He could almost taste the ire rolling off of her in waves. He had never seen her just hit someone like that. With her bare hands. Her primary strength was in her bending, and she obviously had little, if any, martial arts training, but damn! She really packed a wallop.

He was now more determined than ever to keep off her bad side.

The bunk room was even more empty than the night before, although neither of them were surprised by that. They nabbed the same bunk bed they'd used the night before and Zuko went off to use the men's washroom while Katara went to the females'. Usually he preferred to bathe in the morning, but if he did that here, he'd run the risk of exposing himself to the other soldiers, so he settled for an evening shower instead.

He had to remove the bandage over his left eye, both to keep it from getting wet, and in order to let his hair down, and he was more than happy to finally have it off. His depth perception was beginning to suffer. Rather than putting it back on after his shower, he simply draped a towel over his head while he walked back to their bed. Katara had beaten him back – probably cheated and used her bending to cut the time of her own shower – and he found her lying on her back on the bottom bunk, staring off into space.

He closed the curtain, allowing only a small gap for light, and removed the towel from his head, dropping it by the foot of the bed as he sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked carefully.

She turned her head just enough to look at him and grunted. He wasn't sure how to interpret that, but at least she didn't seem angry anymore. He looked down at his lap, thinking about what to say to her. He felt like he should say _something_. This whole situation was ultimately his fault – he was the one who suggested disguising as soldiers; he was the main reason Azula attacked the temple; it was his idea to hide in the uppermost levels of the temple – and it didn't feel right to him to just go to bed without having some kind of conversation about what happened, or at least offering his comfort, for whatever it was worth.

"I miss Aang," she said suddenly, quietly, and he felt a pang in his chest. His shoulders sagged. _Of course. She wants _him_ to comfort her. _He surprised himself with the bitterness of the thought.

He didn't know why her simple admission hurt him. He knew it shouldn't. Aang was her dearest friend, why wouldn't she miss him? It's not like he didn't miss him too.

No. He did know why. He wasn't a stranger to his own faults. He knew he was a jealous person. He wanted her to rely on him the way she relied on the Avatar. He wanted to be close to her the way that Aang was close to her. He wanted to smile with her and laugh with her and be important to her.

"–And Sokka and Toph, and Suki, and my dad," she continued, and he suddenly felt silly for jumping to conclusions. It wasn't Aang that she wanted, it was her family. The family that he wished he could be a part of. "What if I never see them again?"

"We'll find them," he said with conviction. And they would. He would make sure of it. Nothing would stop him from bringing her back to the people she loved, not even his own hurt feelings. "I promise."

He saw her hand move, and then suddenly it was grasping his own the way it had when they left the deck. He felt pleasant warmth spread over his palm and fingers. Her next words shocked him, and the sincerity with which they were spoken caused a lump to form in the back of his throat. "I'm glad you're here," she confessed quietly.

His heart swelled up in his chest. This time she wasn't simply remarking on the convenience of his firebending, she was genuinely glad that he was with her.

Not knowing how to properly respond to such a declaration, he settled for squeezing her hand.

They sat, or in Katara's case, lazed, in silence for a while, their hands connecting them. Zuko stared out through the crack in the curtain and Katara's gaze landed somewhere past his shoulder. Neither of them were truly looking at anything. It was an odd episode of closeness and comfort that, to Zuko at least, was unfamiliar, but somehow also nostalgic.

He didn't want to break the moment, but there was something that he felt needed to be said. "I'm sorry about what that guy said to you. I hope you don't think that every Fire Nation man is like that."

She smiled and shook her head. "Of course not," she assured him, "Those men were just a bunch of pricks. Every nation has them."

The fact that Katara had just smilingly referred to a large subset of the world's population as _a bunch of pricks_ after referring to Admiral Zhao as a _belligerent dickhead_ gave Zuko cause to wonder just how innocent she really was. Or at least what kinds of conversations she was having with Suki.

Again, they were silent for a time. Then,

"Zuko?"

He looked down at her. "What?"

"Tell me a story."

He spluttered. "Tell you a what now?" The suddenness and unexpectedness of her request caught him completely off guard.

"A story. I want to hear a bedtime story."

He gaped at her. Perhaps she was drunker than he thought.

"I don't really know any stories," he said lamely. At least, none that he could remember off the top of his head. Where was this even coming from, anyway?

She was undaunted. "Make one up then."

Zuko floundered for a long moment, considering his options. He could indulge her silly request and make a fool of himself with his poor storytelling and crappy imagination, or he could play the tired card and just go to bed. He chose the latter.

"We're arriving in the Fire Nation tomorrow. We should probably get some sleep." He made to stand but was pulled back down by the hand that he'd forgotten was still firmly clasped with hers. The sudden tug caused him to lose his balance and he barely avoided falling on top of her, twisting his body so that he landed next to her instead.

She stared at him with large blue eyes that were suddenly much too close to his own. "Please."

Zuko turned his head so that he was facing the top bunk and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What kind of story do you want?" Spirits, he was such a pushover. He couldn't even say no to a drunk, fourteen year old girl.

She scrunched up her face in thought. "What's your favorite animal?"

"Turtleduck," he answered without thinking. As soon as he said it, he mentally smacked himself. Why couldn't he pick something manlier, like a platypus-bear, or a sabertooth moose-lion?

She smiled, but to his relief, there was no hint of mocking in the expression. "Then tell me a story about a turtleduck."

Right, a turtleduck. Okay. He could do this.

He cleared his throat self consciously and started, "Um, once upon a time, there was a turtleduck, and he lived-"

"What was his name?" Katara cut in.

Name? "Uh..." he racked his brain, "...Lee."

She gave him a suffering look but didn't say anything.

"Right, so uh, Lee was a turtleduck," he continued, "and he lived in a pond."

That was as far as Zuko got before he realized that he had absolutely no idea what to say. He probably should've done some planning before he started his story. It was like his uncle said, he never thought things through.

Thinking quickly, he said, "So, um, one day Lee, the turtleduck, decided to go for a swim in a different pond. Because there was another pond next to the first pond. Well, not _right_ next to it. It was a kind of far away, but close enough to walk to. Er, I guess he could've flown..."

"I get it, Zuko, go on," Katara said, looking amused.

He drug a hand over his face. He really wasn't good at this sort of thing. "Okay, so Lee went to another pond. To swim. And he did that." He trailed off helplessly.

"Why did Lee leave his pond?" she asked curiously.

Why? "Um, he left because... he wanted to see what life was like in other ponds?" Seeing her questioning look, he elaborated with the first thing he could think of, "His family always told him that his pond was the best pond, but he'd seen how much fun other turtleducks were having in their ponds, and he knew that he'd just be miserable if he stayed there." If he weren't so flustered, he might've given himself a pat on the back for managing a full, coherent sentence.

"So he went to the other pond."

"Yeah. The other pond was nice. He met lots of other turtleducks and ate bread and lived happily ever after."

Katara gave him a disappointed look. "That's it?"

"Well, yeah. What else is there?"

"Did he make any friends?"

He shrugged. "I guess?"

"Did he fall in love?"

He turned his head and gave her a withering look. "He's a turtleduck."

"What? You think that just because he's a turtleduck, he can't fall in love?" she asked accusingly.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Alright, fine. He met a pretty girl-duck and they fell in love and had a fabulous wedding and made lots of cute baby ducks together. The end."

Katara just lay there, not saying anything for a long moment, then, "You're a really crappy storyteller, you know that?"

Argh!

He made his displeasure known by scowling at her and saying, "You're the one who demanded it! What part of me did you expect would be even remotely good at something like this?"

The ridicule left her voice and she asked, "Didn't anyone ever tell you bedtime stories growing up?"

He let go of his frustration, and letting his hands come to rest on his stomach, said, "My mother sometimes told me stories. I don't remember them very well though."

There was a pause, and then she asked, "Do you remember what they were about? Like what kinds of stories she'd tell you?"

He sighed. "Myths, mostly. She loved lore."

He found himself smiling as he remembered his mother; how she would sit by his bed and tell him fantastic tales about the spirits and times long passed. Even Azula enjoyed listening to her.

Katara looked up at the bunk above and said, "My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Of course, she was born nearly twenty years after the start of the war, so she'd never actually experienced it, but others in her tribe remembered it well. She grew up on tales of those times." There was obvious longing in her eyes as she said this. "Can you imagine it? No war, no killing, no hatred. You and I could've been friends."

_If we knew each other back then, do you think we could've been friends too? _Those words had haunted his thoughts for months, and here was Katara, suggesting the same thing.

"My mother told me stories like that too," he confessed quietly, "About when the four nations lived together in harmony. She said that right now our world is damaged, but one day it will be whole again, and it will be the most beautiful world there ever was."

Back then, he thought she was referring to when the Fire Nation won the war. Now he understood. She knew. She's always known. All this time, he'd completely misunderstood her.

"We're going to fix it," Katara said softly, "We're going to make it whole again."

Not knowing if he was included in that 'we' or if she was simply referring to herself and her friends, he said, "I'm going to help you."

She rolled onto her side so that she was facing him fully and looked at him like he was stupid. "Of course you are. You joined us, didn't you?"

The way she said it, so bluntly and matter of fact, brought a wide smile to his face. He was one of them. He was truly one of them. Aang, Sokka, Toph; they had all accepted him, sure, but without Katara's acceptance as well, he was still an outsider.

_This is where I belong. _

He made a silent oath right then. Whatever it took, whatever happened from here on out, he would make that beautiful world their reality. For his mother, for the Avatar and his friends, and for Katara.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Oh my friggin black and blue, rabbit-molested god! Chapter 11 is finally <em>finally<em> done! This chapter was not supposed to be this long. It was supposed to be finished and and uploaded weeks ago. Also, blame my job. We just lost someone, and my hours have been increased until we can find a replacement.

I hope it was at least worth the wait.

Many things happened in this chapter. Zuko and Katara finally talked about his scar, Ty Lee made a new friend, Toph trolled Aang, Katara got drunk, Zuko got jealous (there will be much more of this to come), and Lee the turtleduck got a fabulous wedding. Everybody went home happy.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm on a quest to include as many fanfiction tropes as I can in this story. In this chapter alone we had spin the bottle, accidental drunkness, jealous!hero, pervert bitchslap, and a last minute rescue. (Tell me if I missed any :P). Also, I've come up with a great game. It's called spot the video game references. I've lost track of just how many I've included throughout this fic, but there've been quite a number.

I'll sometimes put progress updates in my profile, so if it feels like it's been ages since I last posted, check there for info.

I deeply appreciate your reviews and I can't wait to read what you have to say about this chapter. Feel free to make suggestions or harp about things you don't like. I write for all of you! (and maybe a bit for me too).

Also, to **Tired Person**, I am deeply sorry for keeping you up so late. I can't always control my awesome.

Next Chapter: Arrival in the Fire Nation! Zuko and Katara run spend a day in town and run into someone we all know and love. ;)

Until then!


	12. A Day on the Town

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Twelve

A day on the Town

The ship docked the next morning, and once again, Zuko woke to find Katara completely and shamelessly wrapped around him; one of her legs was thrown over the top of his, and at some point her left hand had snuck its way under his shirt and now lay over his solar plexus.

To be fair, their current position wasn't _entirely_ her doing; she wasn't the one who buried his face in her hair or looped his arm around her middle... Although, she _was_ the one who drunkenly demanded that he stay with her until she fell asleep, so really, the blame was all hers. He couldn't be held responsible for falling asleep. He was a firebender for Agni's sake. Firebenders go to bed early. It's part of how they rise with the sun.

And boy, do they.

He hurriedly extracted himself from her and took several deep breaths. They couldn't keep doing this. It was going to be the end of him.

When he was sufficiently calm, he allowed himself to flop gently back down onto his side next to her and he spent a moment just watching her snooze. He knew he should go to his own bunk, but he just couldn't motivate himself to move. He'd discovered lately that he liked watching Katara sleep. It made him happy to know that she was comfortable enough around him now to let him see her at her most unguarded. She _trusted_ him enough to let her defenses down when they were together, and that meant a lot to him.

He would never admit it out loud, but he was a little bit glad that they had been separated from the others. It was horrible, he knew, but this time together had given him the opportunity to get to know her far better than he would've if they were still with the group, and that was something he had wanted for a good while now.

Katara had changed him. Not in a dramatic, earth-shattering way, and maybe change wasn't quite the right word, but she had affected him; influenced him; in Ba Sing Se. She restored his faith in humanity, something he hadn't even realized he'd lost. She treated him with kindness, unexpected and undeserved, and it had mystified him. The world he lived in didn't have people like her, who would help anyone in need, even an enemy, and it was at that point he truly realized that the world was so much bigger than what he knew. Even when he turned his back on the opportunity to explore all those things that existed outside of his own world, he never forgot the taste of compassion.

"You did heal me that day," he said softly.

Then he blushed and felt stupid for making sentimental confessions to a sleeping person. He was such a dork.

Zuko continued to watch her lazily, and the thought crossed his mind that she was probably going to feel pretty embarrassed when she woke up, especially when she saw him there. Katara was the kind of person who prided herself on being sensible and in control, and last night she'd been neither of those things. While he felt a little bad for her, since it wasn't really her choice to get drunk, he also felt a degree of vindication that she would get her turn to feel self conscious and silly about what she put him through.

He wasn't just trying to justify staying in bed with her. That was ridiculous.

oO0Oo

This time, Katara wasn't surprised at all when she woke and saw Zuko staring at her – four times will do that. She was, however, surprised when she woke up and found him in bed with her. That is, until she remembered _why_ he was in bed with her, and her surprise quickly turned to embarrassment.

She rolled over to hide her mortification. What must he think of her, getting drunk like that? She hadn't even considered the possibility of her drinks containing liquor. Nobody had ever offered her alcohol before – she was far too young, for La's sake! – and she always assumed that if someone _were_ going to offer it to her, they would surely tell her. She never imagined anyone would just assume that she knew what she was drinking.

She should have, though. The place had the same smell as the Earth Kingdom pubs she and Sokka had sometimes stopped in when they were looking for information. Moreover, the woman who'd initiated the bizarre bottle spinning game had pretty clearly been drinking some kind of spirit. Once again, her trusting nature had gotten her in trouble. She'd been naïve and foolish, and now Zuko probably thought she was some kind of high-maintenance, crazy person. Great.

She turned back over to face shame like a man (er, woman) but instead of disappointment or disapproval, Zuko looked at her with an expression of... she wasn't really sure, actually.

"Good morning, Princess," he greeted, smiling teasingly.

_How's my favorite princess?_

She gave him a withering look to mask the fluttering of her heart and said, "Oh don't start, Zuko. I'm already embarrassed enough as it is."

Zuko's expression briefly turned sympathetic, and in a consoling tone of voice he said, "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know." Then he gave her a halfway grumpy frown as he added, "And I'm the one who should be embarrassed. I had to tell you a stupid bedtime story."

She chuckled at that. It was a stupid story. In fact, it was hands down the worst story she'd ever heard. "Yeah," she agreed, putting her hand on his shoulder, "but look at it this way, it was good practice for when you become a father."

Zuko blanched and then spluttered. "A- a father? But I'm..."

He gestured at himself awkwardly.

For a moment she didn't understand what he was getting at, then her eyes widened.

It couldn't be... Were those rumors true after all? She leaned in close to him and asked, "Zuko, are you... gay?"

Following her question was an incredibly awkward moment of silence in which Zuko's face drained of all color, and his eyes, even the scarred one, seemed to pop right out of his skull. He gaped at her wordlessly for nearly ten seconds before he rolled onto his back and groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"Zuko?" she prodded, still waiting for an answer.

"No," he said through his hands.

"No, you're not gay, or no, you don't want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm not gay," he answered, peeking at her through his fingers. Under his breath, he muttered, "Definitely not gay."

Deciding to be merciful in the face of his discomfort, she let the subject drop.

To escape the awkward situation, she crawled over him to the edge of the bed and began dressing. Zuko rolled over and lay facing away from her for another few moments before he too rose and began to dress. There was a period of silence as they donned their uniforms, finally broken when Zuko held out his bandage to her and asked, "Help me?"

His plea snuffed the awkwardness, and she took the bandage from him gratefully.

Looking at the mess of dark, shaggy locks hanging over his eyes, she asked, "Aren't you going to tie your hair back first?"

He just shrugged. "What's the point? The fleet's been removed from duty. We don't have to follow protocol anymore."

She hadn't thought about that, but she supposed he was right. That meant she didn't have to do her hair either.

Kneeling next to him on the bed, she set about wrapping his eye. She had to lift his bangs out of the way in order to cover the area over his brow, which ended up being a bit of a challenge. His hair was thick but very fine, and extremely soft, and it kept trying to slip through her fingers. She wondered how he'd ever managed to keep it bound.

As she swept Zuko's hair out of his face for the third time, she heard him let out a soft sigh and felt him push his head up into her hand just slightly. This confused her for half a second before realization hit. _He likes it_, she thought, allowing a secret smile grace her face. Experimentally, she ran her fingers through his hair and was rewarded with another small sigh – really just the barest exhale of warm breath – and his head pressing a little more into her hand. She didn't think he even realized that he was doing it.

Did all boys like having their hair touched, or was this a Zuko thing? She never really touched Sokka's hair, and Aang didn't have hair to touch, so she had no idea. Would it be awkward to ask? _Probably_, she determined. For now, she would just add this finding to her rapidly expanding mental file on Prince Zuko.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>In the chaos surrounding the ship's arrival into port, it was easy for them to grab their things from the equipment room and abscond into town. The town was larger than most, and filled with row upon row of white-walled, red-roofed buildings. The architecture was nothing new – just about every town and village in the Fire Nation used that same style – but when they reached the square, Katara quickly discovered that she knew exactly where they were. Only one town had a colossal, fire-spewing statue of Fire Lord Ozai smack in the center.<p>

"Fire Fountain City," she said aloud.

Zuko looked at her curiously. "You've been here?"

She looked back at him and nodded. "Yeah. We came through here while we were traveling around the Fire Nation before the eclipse. This is where Toph and I were thrown in jail after we tried to scam the authorities," she said, scratching her arm embarrassedly.

Zuko's expression turned to shocked disbelief. "You did _what_?"

"I know, I know. I shouldn't've done it. But Toph was the one who started the whole thing by scamming scammers. I told her that it wasn't right, even if those people _were_ cheating others out of their money, but-"

"Wait," he interrupted, holding up a hand. He pointed his finger at her and said, "Didn't you steal from pirates? Isn't that like the same thing?"

That gave her pause for a second. He had a point, she supposed, but... "Okay, maybe it's _similar_, but I needed that scroll to learn waterbending. Toph was just doing it for fun," she argued, crossing her arms over chest with a huff.

Zuko looked confused. "If you were so against what she was doing, then why did you do it too?"

She opened her mouth to tell him that it was because she was hurt by the fact that all of her friends thought she was motherly and unfun and she'd wanted to prove them wrong, but she decided she'd rather not reveal all her insecurities to Zuko, especially not here. "Look, it's a long story and we have more important things to do right now," she said instead, and she was relieved when Zuko didn't push the matter.

They had a brief _okay, we're here, now what?_ discussion by the statue and decided that their first order of business should be to procure some new clothes for her. Zuko was set, he could simply wear his normal clothing, but she had only her Water Tribe tunic. After shopping, they would find lunch and plan some more.

Locating the shopping district wasn't hard. Most of the commodity shops were located near the square, since that was the busiest part of town. There were food stalls and trinket vendors and produce carts and meat shops and all manner of other stores. They found a promising looking clothier's boutique and went inside to have a peek around.

Katara was still rather unused to shopping for clothes. There were no shops in the South Pole, at least not anymore. Every member of the tribe contributed to provide what was needed. Her current tunic was given to her by her father before the invasion, and the one before that was provided by Master Pakku when they left their sister tribe after the siege. The only time she had ever actually purchased clothing was when she and Toph had attended the King's party in Ba Sing Se. Now, surrounded by so many different choices, she didn't even know where to begin.

A thin old man with a long white beard and eyes nearly hidden by drooping, bushy eyebrows stepped out of a back room to greet them. Upon seeing their uniforms, he said, "Ah, another ship must have arrived, then. I've been seeing so many of you recently." He bowed then. "Welcome to my humble establishment. Can I help you find anything?"

Katara nodded. "Yes please. What do you have in my size?"

The man looked her up and down with a "hmmm" and had her stand in front of a measuring board. When he was satisfied with whatever all he was evaluating, he lead her into another room that she hadn't noticed when they came in. This room was lined with distinctly feminine outfits, and she realized that they must've been in the male section before. He gestured to a section of wall and said, "The items hanging here ought to fit you, I'd think. There's a dressing room in the corner if you want to try something on." He then turned to Zuko and asked, "And how about you?"

Zuko shook his head. "I don't need anything."

The man smiled and clasped his hands in front of him. "Well, feel free to look around." To both of them, he said, "If you need anything at all, I'll be in the back," then he bowed again and walked away.

Katara turned her attention to the section the old man had referred her to and looked over the selection. Most of the items were dresses, but there was a small variety of other options as well. Just about everything was a shade of red, grey or brown, and she quickly noticed that the richer the color of a particular item, the more it cost. The ones with gold were especially expensive and were hung higher up, likely for their protection.

She rifled through the clothing and picked out a red chest wrap nearly identical to the one she'd worn in the past, and a pair of baggy pants, also similar to the ones she'd worn before but in dark red instead of brown. If she could find a long sarong, she would basically have a replica of her other Fire Nation outfit.

She examined the skirt selection, imagining how they would look in her head.

"That one's nice," Zuko suggested, pointing to sarong somewhere above where she'd been looking.

She had to agree with him, it was definitely a lovely piece of clothing; deep red with a swirling gold trim like the one on her Water Tribe tunic. "It's so expensive though..." she protested, frowning. Beautiful, it may be, but the price tag was more than a little sobering.

Zuko looked at the price as well. "It's not that bad," he said with a shrug, "It's practical and it's better quality than those other skirts you were looking at."

She was still reluctant, but she brought it down to try on with the other items. She vaguely wondered at the fact that she was standing in a Fire Nation clothing store and taking fashion advice from Prince Zuko. It was one of those moments when you take a step back and ask yourself, 'how did this become my life?'

She took her selections to the fitting room and tried them on. The sarong really was lovely. It hung nicely over her hips and fluttered prettily when she turned, and the crimson and gold made her feel classy, like nobility.

Price be damned. She wanted it. It's not like it was purely frivolous purchase, anyway. This was something she needed. It was an _investment in the war effort_. And if Zuko was okay with spending the money, who was she to say no?

She changed back into her soldier uniform and left the dressing room to find Zuko waiting with an expectant look on his face. She gave him a smile. "I'll take them."

They brought the items to the sales counter in the adjoining room and the shopkeeper came out to meet them. "Ah, excellent choices, my dear," he remarked, looking the items over. As he folded the sarong, he said, "I just knew when I was making this one that it was going to find a home with very lovely young lady. Fine garments are attracted to fine women, you know." He wiggled his fluffy white eyebrows.

Katara smiled at the old man's comment. She liked this guy.

Zuko fished out a gold coin to pay him. When he saw it, the man's eyes widened and he whistled. "You must come from a wealthy family, son. Last I checked, soldiers weren't being paid in koban."

Zuko fiddled with his hands awkwardly. "Um, yeah. My family is rather... _affluent,_ in the Caldera."

"Oho, the Caldera, eh?" The man took the coin and tucked it into a pouch on his belt, then, from another pouch, he pulled four rectangular gold pieces that Katara recognized as the same type that Toph had been counting when she'd confronted her about her wanted poster, and gave them to Zuko along with a large bag of silver and a smaller bag of copper. "I suppose you're headed back there now that the fleets are being called in?"

She and Zuko subtly shared a confused look before Zuko answered, "Yes, we are planning to make it there eventually."

The shopkeeper finished wrapping the garments and handed the bundle to her. "Well, I wish the two of you a safe journey." He then reached over the counter and patted her hand. "And may Agni bless your doorstep a thousand times, my dear."

Beside her, Zuko choked.

"Um, thanks," she responded politely.

She gave the old man a parting smile as they left, happy to have met such a kind person. There really were good people no matter where you went. As soon as they were back out on the street, she turned to Zuko and asked, "What did he mean by 'Agni bless my doorstep a thousand times'? Is that your people's version of 'have a nice day' or something?"

Zuko put a hand over his face and continued to look straight ahead. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. "No," he answered, and she saw pink peaking through the gaps of his fingers, "He was... wishing you many children."

"What?" she felt her own cheeks heat up, "Why would he do something like that?"

Zuko dragged his hand down enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "I think he assumed we were married. Or plan to be."

She didn't try to hold back her shock. "Married? _Us?_" she gestured between the two of them incredulously, "But that's ridiculous. We could never even like each other that way."

She saw his shoulders slump and his hand fall away from his face. "Yeah," he agreed, "...ridiculous."

Next they went to a shoe store where she acquired a sturdy pair of sandals – in red, of course – and then, at Zuko's insistence, they stopped by a jewelry peddler's cart. Apparently it was unsightly for a lady of status to promenade unadorned. She jokingly protested that she wasn't exactly a lady of status, to which Zuko responded that a princess of peasants was still a princess. Before she could figure out if he was making fun of her or not, she found herself with a new pair of gold armbands, wristbands and a lovely little flame shaped hairpiece.

It was nearly noon by the time they finished, and they were both feeling more than a little peckish. Deciding that changing should come before eating, they found a sheltered alley away from the bustling main streets and took turns keeping a lookout while the other swapped attire. Katara was glad to finally get out of the hot, heavy uniform. It was fine while they were at sea with cool ocean air providing steady relief, but now that they were back on land, she was roasting.

When she was done changing she joined Zuko at the entrance to the alley and modeled her new outfit for him. "How do I look?"

She saw Zuko's eyes, or eye, rather, sweep over her, and then his face set into that annoyingly unreadable expression of his. "You look ...nice."

She frowned at his lame reply and stepped closer, intending to educate him on the _proper_ way to respond when a woman asks about her appearance, but she faltered when she noticed that his visible pupil was oddly dilated and his cheeks were somewhat flushed, as if he were running a fever. Her disgruntlement turned to concern and she asked, "Are you okay?" It was possible that there could've been a bug going around on the ship... Although, he hadn't seemed sick at all earlier.

He blinked once and cleared his throat. "Um, yeah." He glanced past her shoulder and shifted his weight in an impatient manner. "I'm... I need to go change."

She watched, confused, as he brushed past her and disappeared around the bend of the alley. _Well, alright then_, she thought, dismissing his odd behavior with a shrug.

While she waited for him to change, she styled her hair into its old topknot with her new hairpiece. She wished that there were a mirror or a glass window around so that she could see herself, but alas, the alley was mirrorless and the only nearby window was made of rice paper. Not that it was that much of an issue, really – she'd been dressing and doing her hair without the aid of a mirror for months – but it would've been helpful.

Zuko returned shortly, sporting his familiar burgundy tunic and crimson pants. Seeing him back in his old clothes was actually a little relieving. It brought back a semblance of normalcy to their situation, however small.

"What are we going to do with these?" she asked, holding up her messily wadded up uniform. She knew there wasn't much point in taking them with them. They were too bulky for their travel bags.

Zuko shrugged. "Throw them out I guess."

She nodded and they deposited the uniforms in a nearby trash heap. Just tossing them seemed like a bit of a waste to her – in the South Pole, throwing away perfectly usable clothing was unheard of – but it's not like their was much else they could do.

They went back to the square to find lunch, which ended up being grilled meat from one of the many food carts set up around the plaza. They brought their food to the foot (literally) of the larger-than-life statue and reclined against its base while they ate and discussed their options.

Escaping the Air Temple meant that they were out of immediate danger for the time being, but it also meant that their friends would have no idea where they were. They would assume that she and Zuko were still on the island. What were they going to do when they returned to the temple and found them gone? She wondered if they would even think to extend their search beyond the air territory. It was a nothing more than a lucky break that allowed them to cross the ocean. They didn't anticipate a ship being there, and their friends wouldn't either. They would continue to roam the mountains thinking that they were still trapped there.

"If only there was some way to get a message to them..." she mused aloud. Unfortunately, Appa didn't exactly have a permanent address.

"Maybe we could send a message to someone who would know how to reach them?" Zuko suggested.

"Like who?" she lifted her palms into the air inquiringly, "It's not like anyone else know where they are either. And most of our allies were captured during the invasion."

Zuko's shoulders sagged and they both sighed. Back to square one.

Suddenly, she had an idea. "Zuko, do you think we could send a messenger hawk to Gaoling in the Earth Kingdom?"

He looked at her questioningly. "It would be dangerous. Public postal hawks are monitored carefully. But yes, we could. Why? Is there someone there who would know how to find them?"

She grinned. "Not someone, exactly. A short while before the eclipse, we sent Sokka's pet hawk there with a message for Toph's parents. It might still be there."

Zuko's face lit up in understanding. "That hawk would know how to find Sokka."

"Exactly." If they could get Toph's parents to send Hawky to them, they could use him to send a message to Sokka. That was assuming that Toph's parents would be willing to help them... Her grin faded somewhat.

"How did Sokka get a messenger hawk, anyway?" Zuko asked with a bewildered look.

"He bought it. Here, actually." She shook her head at the memory. Who knew her brother's frivolous purchase would actually end up helping them?

"He got it here?" his face lit up even more, "If that's the case, then we don't have to send a hawk to the Earth Kingdom after all. The post office will have Sokka's scent on record, so we can send a message straight to him."

Her grin returned, full force, and she stood, pulling him up with her. "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" In any other case, she would've been mad at her brother for unthinkingly giving the Fire Nation a means of tracking them, but right now, she was more inclined to buy him a year's supply of blubbered seal jerky.

Zuko took a second to grab their trash and toss it out, and then they were on their way to the post office, feeling more optimistic than they had in days.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara tapped her brush against her cheek as she considered what to write. Zuko was huddled next to her over the drafting bench, his gaze shifting between her and the paper as he waited for her to continue. So far, all she'd written was '<em>Dear Brother<em>' – they'd agreed it would be best not to use any of their names, in the chance that the letter was intercepted. That also meant they had to try to keep the message as vague and non-incriminating as possible.

After a moment, she put her brush to the paper again and wrote, '_I hope this message finds you safely. __**Lee**__ and I are fine. We left the temple and arrived in Fire Fountain City this morning. I'm writing you from the post office where you bought Hawky (you and I are going to have a discussion about that later). I hope you and the others are doing okay without us. The past few days have been a bit stressful, but we're managing alright._'

She stopped and looked over at Zuko. "How are they going to find us?"

"Tell him we'll find an inn and wait there," he suggested.

"Which one?" she asked, "We can't make them search every inn in town."

He appeared to think for a moment. "There was one near the square that had a vacancy sign up. I'm pretty sure it was called the Chartreuse Moose-Lion." He frowned then and looked thoughtful. "Or was it the Chamomile Moose-Eel..." he scratched his head, "the Celadon Moose-Swan...? It had moose in it."

She gave him an unimpressed look. Luckily, she'd noticed the vacancy sign as well. Dipping her brush in the ink again, she continued, '_We're planning to spend a few nights at the __**Carmine Dragon-Moose**__ Inn._ _If you want to meet up, just ask for __**Zora**__ and __**Lee**__. _

_'Make sure Kuzon is keeping up with his bending practice.'_

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "Kuzon?"

"Aang's Fire Nation name," she clarified.

She finished by writing, '_Hope to see you soon, –Zora_'

"Can I add something?" Zuko asked.

"Go ahead." She scooted the paper more in front of him and handed him the brush.

He rewetted the bristles again and held it over the paper. Something about the way Zuko held the brush seemed odd to her, and it took her a moment to figure out that the oddness stemmed from the fact that he was holding it in his left hand instead of his right. _He's a lefty_, she realized with surprise. Yet another tidbit to add to her Zuko file.

In neat strokes, Zuko wrote, '_Kuzon: Practice your breathing and do a hundred and fifty hot-squats before every meal. I don't want to come back and find out that you've been slacking. _

_And Wang: – _she noticed him grimace as he wrote Sokka's fake name_ – If you're looking for a place to get away for a while, my family has a house on Ember Island. Nobody ever goes there anymore, so I can guarantee that it will be peaceful and relaxing. It's on the South end of the island, about three miles from the town. I'm sure you won't have any problems finding it. –Lee_'

"A house on Ember Island?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"It's my family's vacation home," he explained, "We used to go there every summer when I was little, but we stopped after..." his expression turned melancholy for a moment and then he shook his head, "Anyway, no one's stayed there for years and it would be the last place my father or Azula would think to look."

Hiding from the Fire Lord in his own home? She wasn't sure if it was stupid or brilliant. "You're sure they won't be found there?"

Zuko smiled joylessly. "My family no longer has any love for that place."

It was his tone more than his words that convinced her. There was clearly no doubt in Zuko's mind that Ozai and Azula wouldn't go there , and she wondered what was so bad about the place, or what had happened, to warrant such conviction.

Zuko didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it, so she didn't ask him. Instead, she rolled up the paper and they brought it to the postman in the adjoining room.

"I'd like to send this to Wang Fire please," she told the postman, holding up the scroll. "He should be in your records?"

The postman nodded and said, "One moment. I'll look him up for you."

He pulled a scroll out of a row of cubbies behind him and Katara watched his eyes travel down over what appeared to be a list of names and dates. "Here we are. Mr. Wang Fire. Purchased a hawk here a few weeks ago."

She couldn't hold in her excitement. "Yes! That's him."

The postman glanced down at the paper in her hands. "Just the one scroll?"

She nodded and handed it to him. "And if I could, I'd like to get it to him as quickly as possible."

"Our fastest hawk is the Class Three Swift," he said with a look of pride, "If you don't mind spending the extra money, the Class Three is definitely the way to go. They can make it from here to the capital in under two hours."

She beamed and leaned toward him. "Great! How much?" If these hawks could really make it all the way to the capital in less than two hours, then if the others were anywhere near the Fire Nation, there was a good chance that Sokka would receive their message before nightfall.

The postman flushed slightly and said, "Twenty silver."

She looked at Zuko, since he was the one paying, and Zuko nodded at the postman. "We'll do it."

Money was exchanged and their message was sealed in a tube and attached to the back a hawk. The postman brought out a small jar from a another set of cubbies and uncorked it in front of the hawk before releasing the large bird out of one of several wall hatches behind the counter.

They watched the bird fly away, both silently praying that it would be able to find Sokka.

All they could do now was wait.

oO0Oo

They left the post office and went to the inn to purchase lodgings for the next several nights.

They were a little surprised at first when they entered the establishment and found the tavern area full of soldiers, but it made sense when they remembered what the shopkeeper had said that morning about the number of ships returning. Unsurprisingly, this meant that free rooms were scarce. This didn't bother them though, since they had been planning to share a room from the beginning in order to make it easier for the others to find them. Fortunately, the innkeeper was able to find them a room with two beds, so they got to dodge the whole uncomfortable 'who-gets-the-floor' conversation.

They only stayed long enough to drop their bags off in their room before heading back out again. It was still early afternoon, and the prospect of sitting around in a tiny hotel room for the next several hours with nothing to do wasn't terribly appealing to either of them.

To amuse themselves, they wandered around the town, checking out the shops and exploring the different districts. However, while Fire Fountain City was larger than many of the other towns Katara had visited during her previous stay in the Fire Nation, it wasn't the most interesting place and exploring only kept them entertained for so long.

It was Zuko stretching out his arms and cracking his back as they walked that gave Katara an idea for what they could do with themselves. They'd had little time to train since they'd left the temple, but now time was plentiful, and being separated from the group didn't mean they could slack off.

She grabbed Zuko's arms and started tugging him toward the edge of town. "I just thought of something for us to do."

Zuko looked a little startled, but followed without question. She led him past the city limits, following the old familiar route until they arrived at the site of the team's former camp.

The camp looked just as they'd left it all those weeks ago, and a pang of nostalgia hit her as she gazed at the familiar scenery; the muddy pit where she'd fought with Toph; the jutting cliff where they had given each other the cold shoulder; the spot of charred earth where the campfire had been; the boulder Aang and Sokka had sat on when they sent her that note, forgetting that Toph couldn't possibly have written it. Seeing this place again now, silent and empty, she felt the absence of her friends more keenly than ever.

Behind her, Zuko glanced around with confused look and said, "So, what was this thing that you thought of for us to do?"

His question shook her out of her gloomy thoughts and she placed her hands on her hips and smiled at him. "I figured that since we have all this free time now, we might as well spend it preparing for the comet. I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I have to go any longer without practicing my bending."

It was true. Not being able to bend was aggravating. It was her nature.

Zuko nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean." He got a funny look on his face then, and added, "To tell the truth, I'm beginning to think it's not very good for a bender to... not bend. You know? I think all that pent up energy does something to us."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

His expression turned conflicted and looked away from her to gaze out over the sea. "Lately, my inner fire has been behaving strangely," he confessed.

"Strange like how?" she asked. This was the first she'd heard of this.

"Like it will just flare up for no reason when I'm meditating or bending. At first I thought it was because I changed the way I firebend, but if that were really the case, then Aang should be having the same problem, right? But he's not."

"Maybe it's because he's not naturally a firebender," she suggested.

Zuko shook his head. "I considered that as well, but I don't think that's it."

"Well what makes you think it's from not bending?"

He looked back to her. "You."

Confused, she crossed her arms and tilted her head questioningly. "Me?"

"You barely got to bend the whole time we were at the temple, right? Then suddenly you're having these weird episodes with _exploding chi_ and fainting. That got me thinking, and I realized that the whole time I was in the Fire Nation, I hardly practiced my bending at all either."

Katara's frown deepened. "But our experiences are different. You say your inner fire has been acting strangely, but you haven't been having 'weird episodes' when you meditate."

He looked a little guilty then. "Actually, I did have something like that."

She drew back in surprise. "What? When?"

"It happened while you were bathing in the lake. I'd decided to meditate because I hadn't gotten a chance to that morning, and suddenly my chi just went nuts. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and everything around me was a charred mess."

Katara was very much taken aback. Why hadn't he said anything before now? That kind of information was a little too important to just leave out. "Why didn't you tell me?" she accused.

He looked at her incredulously. "Why-? You were drowning!"

_Really? I'd forgotten_, she thought, wanting to roll her eyes. "I mean why didn't you tell me afterward?"

He looked her in the eye with an expression more serious than she'd ever seen from him. "Katara, I thought you were dead. Bizarre campfire incidents were the farthest thing from my mind right then."

She didn't have anything to say to that. It hadn't even occurred to her that he might've been more concerned about her than his worrying loss of control over his own spiritual energy, even after the fact. He wasn't lying though. Nobody could lie with an expression like that.

Him not telling her aside, there was a glaring flaw in his reasoning.

"It's true that I hadn't been bending as much as I probably should've, but I used a lot of energy when I fought you in the library and then again when I healed you, and I didn't start having those 'weird episodes' until after that," she pointed out. "And you've been practicing your firebending diligently every day since you joined us. Why would you only start having them now?"

Zuko crossed his arms and looked down in thought. After a few moments, he gave up and shook his head. "That was my only theory."

"Well, we need to practice, regardless. We can figure this out later."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>They began with stretching, something Katara had been neglecting lately. She used to stretch every time she exercised, but over the months her warmups had shortened in order to maximize bending time. Waterbenders mostly used their arms anyway. It was the least athletic of all the bendings.<p>

Sometimes she wished that she'd learned a martial art or a weapon to go along with her bending. Waterbending alone had too many weaknesses, the most obvious being that she couldn't fight well at close range and without access to her element she was useless. Aang had his staff and Zuko had his, well, everything, and Toph could bend both earth and metal, but she only had her water – a disadvantage that became especially apparent to her during Aang's game of spy and fly.

_But you can bend blood_.

She shook her head, banishing that thought to the darkest recesses of her mind. Bloodbending was terrible and wrong. That wasn't the kind of strength she wanted.

She distracted herself by looking over at Zuko, who had finished stretching and was now warming up with some katas.

Zuko was always fascinating to watch. He flowed through his forms gracefully, punching and blocking and kicking, quickly and powerfully, with no wasted movement. Why couldn't she be like that – able to use her whole body as a weapon; not be completely reliant on bending?

She wondered if it wasn't too late to learn. Her reflexes and flexibility were both pretty good, and those were the things that took the most time to acquire, right? Zuko could teach her. It's not like they had anything better to do while they waited for their friends to show up.

Zuko must've noticed that she'd been doing the same stretch for the past five minutes, because he straightened up and said, "You seem distracted."

It was a spontaneous decision, a whim, really, but if she was going to ask him, this was the time.

"I was just thinking... would you... do you think you could teach me how to fight?"

Zuko gave her a look that said he didn't comprehend. "You know how to fight."

She shook her head. "Not bending, I mean, like, hand to hand. You know, punching and kicking and stuff." She almost winced at how lame she sounded.

"Okay."

"I know I'm not–" she cut off when his answer caught up with her, "Wait, 'okay'? You mean you'll do it?" She thought it would take more convincing, or at the very least he'd need a moment to think about it.

He looked...embarrassed...? for a split second before he cleared his throat and said, "Learning how to defend yourself without your element is never a bad idea. How much do you know?"

She fingered her sarong self-consciously as she said, "Pretty much nothing. Other than bending, the closest thing to fighting I've done is wrestle Sokka for the last piece of seal jerky."

Zuko crossed his arms and hmmed in thought, and she hoped he wasn't going to decline her request after all, now that he knew how inexperienced she was. After a moment he brought his hands up to face and removed the bandage over his left eye. Tossing it onto a nearby rock, he commanded, "Kick me."

She looked at him dumbly. "Kick you?"

"Yes. Pretend I'm your enemy and try to take me down. One kick."

Pretend he was her enemy? _That shouldn't be too hard_, she thought wryly. She looked him over, considering what part of him she could strike that would have the best chance of toppling him. Experience told her to go for his legs, but she knew she wasn't fast or skilled enough to land a hit there.

She drew her right leg back and swung it at his stomach. If she couldn't knock him off his feet, winding him was the next best option. To her surprise, he made no move to block or dodge, and took the full force of her leg to his middle. It felt like kicking a recently built igloo. There was a small amount of give from the fresh snow, but underneath was hard ice. She pulled back and rubbed her foot. She didn't remember him feeling like that when they were brawling in the air temple. He must've anticipated that she would strike there and clenched his abdominal muscles.

"Clumsy, but not bad," he stated, not sounding at all affected. "Your execution was actually pretty good. You have potential."

"Is it always going to hurt this much?" she asked, still massaging the top of her foot.

"No. You just used the wrong kind of kick. You would've been better off if you'd used the bottom of your foot rather than the top."

"Oh. Good to know."

"Sorry," he offered, rubbing the back of his head. "Is your foot okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," she said, shaking it out before setting it back down on the ground. "What next?"

He hesitated a brief moment before straightening and saying, "Alright, this time I want you to punch me." He pointed at his chest. "Right here."

She nodded and spread her legs, bracing herself. She zeroed in on the center of his chest and clenched her hands into fists before rotating her shoulders and swinging ol' righty at his sternum.

He caught her forearm an inch from his chest and shook his head. "Your wrist is bent. You'll break it if you punch like that." He slid his hand to the underside of her wrist and and used his other to straighten it. He pressed her fingers back together when they started to go lax and tapped her first two knuckles. "Always punch with these, never with your fingers."

"Why's that?"

"You'll break them."

"Oh." Katara was beginning to think that she was in more danger of hurting herself than her opponent.

Zuko released her hand and stepped back. "Try again."

Careful to keep her wrist straight and her fingers curled, she swung at him again. This time the hit connected and she was pleased when the impact caused Zuko to take a step back.

He smiled. "That was great, Katara."

They continued like this for the next two hours, Zuko telling her what to do and then giving her advice on how to improve. He showed her various stances, as well as how to break them, taught her how to block and when to dodge, and demonstrated about a million different kicks – although many of them were more like different variations of the same kick – as well as a good number of hand/arm strikes. It was all more than a little overwhelming, but Zuko kept telling her she was doing well and that she had a lot of natural talent. By the end of it her arms and legs felt like jelly, and she wondered how much of what he taught her she was going to actually remember the next day.

She plopped down onto a large, flat rock and laid back letting the sea breeze cool her skin. She hadn't bended at all, but she felt just as drained as if she'd spent the whole afternoon maintaining a tsunami. Zuko sat next to her and leaned back on his palms. She couldn't help but notice the way the wind ruffled his hair as he stared out over the ocean.

They lounged in comfortable silence for several minutes, and Katara wondered just when it was that sitting with Zuko became so relaxing and enjoyable. When it was that she stopped waiting for him to turn around and attack her.

She'd told herself after their fight in the library that she would give him the benefit of the doubt – innocent until proven guilty – but she wouldn't trust him. She swore that he'd never fool her again. If he betrayed them, she'd be ready.

She'd broken that oath. If Zuko betrayed her now, it would hurt her. A lot.

He was her friend now.

"Hey," she said after a time, "Do you think we'll win? The war, I mean." It was something she and the others asked each other all the time, but she wanted Zuko's opinion. If anyone knew their chances, it was him. It was his family they were fighting after all.

Zuko tensed but didn't turn his head. "If anyone can stop my father, it's Aang. It's his destiny."

She noticed how he carefully answered around the question. Did he not think they would win? That couldn't be. He wouldn't be here if he didn't think they could do it.

"I've always believed that Aang will save the world," she declared assuredly.

Zuko grabbed one of his legs and pulled it in, resting his chin on his knee. "I know." His tone of voice revealed nothing of his thoughts.

She sighed. The last thing she needed was for Zuko to develop an unreadable voice to go with that stupid unreadable expression he was so fond of.

Changing the subject, she asked, "What are you going to do, when this is all over?"

A small, almost sad-looking smile appeared on his face. She saw his eyes flicker downward as he said, "I'll look for my mother, I guess."

"I thought you said she was dead."

He finally turned his head to look at her. "I thought she was, but on the day of the eclipse my father told me that she was still alive." He shook his head, causing his hair to fall in his face. She was sorely tempted to reach up and push it back. "Maybe he was lying, I don't know, but if there's a chance that she's out there..."

She understood perfectly. If there was even the slightest a possibility that her own mother was still alive somewhere, she would stop at nothing to find her.

"You'll be the new Fire Lord too," she reminded him, trying to pull his thoughts to a happier place.

Zuko smiled again, and this time it was a lighter expression. "That's right, I promised Toph that I'd have the royal doctors find a cure for Sokka's stupidity."

She chuckled. "Good luck with that."

"What are you going to do?" he asked curiously.

Her? She had to take a moment to think about it. What was she going to do? The end of the war still seemed like a far off dream, not something only a few weeks away.

"I don't know. I guess I'll go back to the South Pole and help rebuild," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Or maybe I'll keep traveling; see the rest of the world, learn swampbending. I could do pretty much anything I wanted." A thought crossed her mind then and she nudged Zuko's hip with her elbow. "You can show me those Water Tribe apartments in the Fire Nation palace. I can't wait to see how _blue_ they are."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah." But he was smiling too.

"Well isn't this just the cutest little scene," an amused voice said from behind them.

Katara hurriedly sat up and they both whipped around to see a familiar smug-looking woman sitting atop an equally familiar eyeless beast. She recognized the woman instantly as the bounty hunter Zuko had hired to track them down earlier in the year. What was she doing here?

"Jun!" Zuko identified, clearly as shocked to see the black-haired beauty as she was.

Jun smiled down at him, her heavily shadowed eyes glinting with amusement. "Grumpy," she greeted, as if it were his name, "I see you worked things out with your girlfriend."

It took less than a second for Katara to realize that Jun was referring to her. "I'm not his girlfriend!" she denied at the same time that he exclaimed, "She's not my girlfriend!"

"Right," the bounty hunter drawled, clearly not believing them. "Nice hair, by the way," she added, gesturing at Zuko's head with her chin.

"What are you doing here, Jun?" Zuko asked the question that was on Katara's own mind, "I thought you were an Earth Kingdom citizen."

Jun scoffed. "I don't take sides, Angry Boy, you know that."

"Maybe, but the Fire Nation doesn't just let people from the other nations come as they please," he pointed out, giving her a skeptical look.

"No," she agreed, "But I'm just as much Fire Nation as I am Earth Kingdom. And it helps that I resemble my mother."

"Your mother was from the Fire Nation?" Katara asked, taken aback.

Jun switched her gaze from Zuko to her. "That's right, girly," she said with a smirk. "You know, interracial love affairs, even marriages, aren't that uncommon these days. Especially in the colonies, where Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom citizens have been living together for decades." She glanced between them then and cocked an eyebrow. "Although fire and water... I haven't seen that before. You'll have to tell me how it works out for you."

Katara felt her cheeks redden and she turned away while Zuko made a frustrated noise next to her.

"Anyway," Jun continued, "I'm here because Nyla," she patted the beast's muzzle fondly, "here caught the scent of a female. With such a rare species, opportunities to breed are too scarce to pass up. We just happened to be passing through Fire Fountain City when he scented the two of you." She turned back to Zuko then and said, "So where's your creepy grandpa, anyway? And the Avatar? They not invited on your little honeymoon?"

"He's my uncle," Zuko corrected stroppily, "And we'll be rejoining the Avatar soon."

"Rejoining? You mean you didn't just take the girl and run?" She lowered her eyebrows in disappointment. "Well that's boring."

Zuko gave Jun the mother if all grumpy faces. "Look, for the last time, I-"

Jun ignored him and turned back to Katara. "By the way, did you ever get your necklace back?"

Katara touched her neck where the pendant usually rested before remembering that it was still tucked away in her bindings. "Yes, Aang got it back for me."

"Aang... that's the Avatar, right? That means Prince Pouty here wasn't the one who gave it back."

She shook her head and shot Zuko an unimpressed look. "No."

Zuko looked away guiltily.

Jun chuckled at that. "Did he ever tell you that he used to wear it around his wrist?"

She glanced at Zuko again and saw that his shoulders had tensed. "He did?"

Jun smirked. "Everywhere he went. Never let anyone else touch it." Her smirk widened and she added, "Sometimes I would catch him gazing longingly at it in the sunlight."

Zuko turned his head back around to face her. "I did not g-"

Jun ignored him again. "Seeing him made me want to barf, it was so _hopelessly cute_."

Zuko buried his head in his hands, looking a perfect mix of flustered and frustrated, as only he could. If Katara had to come up with a single word to describe his state of being at that moment, it would be flustrated.

She just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked back at her defensively. "I wasn't gazing longingly at it! I was just... trying to see it better!"

"Multiple times, with a sappy look on your face," Jun cut in.

Zuko raised his arms to the sky beseechingly.

Katara fingered the necklace through her shirt. She'd always wondered what Zuko did with it while it was in his possession. At the time, she'd been constantly worried that it would get lost or damaged, but it sounded like he'd actually been taking care of it.

She felt warmth spread through her chest. He really was the same sweet, dorky Zuko, even back then.

"Well, this has been fun, but Nyla has a girlfriend to catch," Jun announced abruptly.

Zuko grumbled something about it only being fun for her under his breath, but Jun heard him.

"A word of advice, Pouty," she said to him, "You're never going to get her to like you if keep being grumpy all the time."

Then, with a parting wink that Katara was sure was directed at her, Jun took off back toward the town.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 is done! Hooo momma!<p>

I really have no excuse for how long it took for me to get this chapter out. I had high hopes of getting it done early, but, of course, that all fell to crap. This was a harder chapter to write and I'm feeling really meh about it, but at least it's long. Wouldn't it suck if I made you wait a whole month and then gave you like three pages? You would have my permission to hunt me down and shoot me if I ever did that.

To those of you on the new Zutara forum, PaintedBlue, hello again! To the rest of you, what are you waiting for? Get yer sorry keisters over there right now! (after you review, of course)

A few of you made guesses as to who our mystery guest was going to be, but nobody guessed Jun. I hope you all enjoyed Jun's little sass-by. Her visit turned out slightly different than I'd planned originally. She was going to take Katara to a spa and they were going to be girly together (well, as girly as Jun can be), but I scrapped that idea because it was too hard to work in.

About Zuko's hand preference: I noticed in the episode 'The Beach' that Zuko frequently switched around the hand that used to eat. When he serves himself dumplings, his chopsticks are in his left hand, but when his left side is leaned up against Mai, his chopsticks are in his right hand. When he's offering Mai ice cream, his own cone is in his left hand and he reaches across himself to gracelessly drop hers in her lap with his right. Because of this, and the fact that he's an expert dual wielder, I'm inclined to believe that he is ambidextrous with a preference for lefty. Just another strange Zuko observation.

Next chapter: Did somebody say Yon Rha?


	13. Falling Apart at the Seams

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Thirteen

Falling Apart at the Seams

By the time they made it back into town, they were too tired to do much else than grab a quick bite from a food cart before returning to the inn and collapsing onto their beds. After Jun left, Katara had found a second wind and they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening bending. It felt like forever since she'd had such a good workout. Living at the temple and sitting around before the invasion had made her soft, but between sparring with Zuko, running through the temple during Aang's game, hiking through the mountains and spending the day training, she was feeling her strength and endurance returning quickly.

The next morning, she actually woke before Zuko, feeling refreshed although a little sore. The sky was still dark, but the moon's energy had waned enough for her to know that the sun would be appearing soon. She hopped out of bed, and, being as quiet as possible, made her way to the ground floor to bathe and prepare for the day.

By the time she returned, the the first hints of light had transformed the sky from indigo to cobalt. Zuko was still in his bed, fast asleep on his side, and seeing a chance, Katara tiptoed over and knelt at his bedside, eager to finally get a glimpse of his sleeping face. He always seemed to fall asleep after her and rise before her, but for once, she was up before him.

The sight was unexpectedly adorable. Zuko's hair fell messily over his face and he was breathing softly and steadily through his nose. His smooth skin and the relaxed arch of his eyebrow reminded Katara of a little kid. He looked innocent and vulnerable. A wave of affection expanded in her chest and she felt a sudden, irrational urge to hug his face to her chest and just cuddle him like a child.

She squashed that urge like a boss.

Knowing it was a little creepy to stare at someone while they were sleeping, she rose and walked over to the window. Their room had an excellent view of the plaza, and she spent a few minutes just looking out over the quiet square. Fire Fountain City had a reputation for being an unsavory place at night, but in the twilight of early morning, the place was as tranquil and silent as the midnight tundra. For the second time, Katara thought about what a shame it was that she was never awake to enjoy this otherworldly hour between night and day. At the poles, twilight often lasted for several hours, and people would be awake and working all through it, but here, it was fleeting and unsoiled by goings on of man.

It was nearing dawn now, and she was starting to get hungry. She looked back over at Zuko's bed, only to find that he hadn't moved an inch. Not feeling like waiting any longer, she decided to just wake him up herself. The thought crossed her mind that this was the perfect opportunity to pay him back for all the times he'd woken her up in the past few days, and she smirked a wicked little smirk that would've made Toph proud. A '_Good Morning, Sokka_' it was, then.

She strode over to Zuko's bed and announced, in a big voice, "I'm a polar bear dog! Raaar!" before flopping bodily on top of him. She hadn't gotten to do this since she and Sokka left the south pole. She'd forgotten how fun it was.

Zuko's reaction was priceless. He shot awake with an undignified yelp and thrashed around like a mad person, trying – and failing – to remove her from his person. Eventually his hands found her arms and he grasped them tightly as his brain registered who was on top of him. He blinked up at her, breathing hard, and she could even feel his heart racing in his chest.

"Good morning, Princess," she said sweetly, using his own greeting from the previous morning.

"K-Katara! What are you doing?" he squeaked, his eyes still wild from adrenaline.

"Waking you up, obviously," she responded sweetly.

"If by "wake me up" you mean scare the firebending out of me," he demurred.

"It worked, didn't it? Now let go of me so I can get off."

He looked down at where his hands were still tightly gripping her arms and snatched them back as though he'd been burned. "Sorry."

She clambered off of him and straightened her skirt. "Hurry and get ready. I'm hungry."

Without protest, Zuko did as he was told, and twenty minutes later he was bathed and dressed and bandaged and they were happily on their way downstairs for breakfast.

Breakfast ended up being a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables and a small plate of steamed fish which the innkeeper proudly told them was freshly caught that morning. The tavern was still pretty quiet, since it was early, even for firebenders, and they enjoyed their meal in relative peace. By the time they left the inn to go to their training spot, the trinket venders were already setting up their carts and stands for the day. Katara examined the wares as they passed, occasionally remarking on items that she found especially pretty or interesting. Zuko would then offer a comment of his own, usually about the practicality of whatever she was looking at. Men never were any good at appreciating the beauty of things. It was all about function with them. Well, except for Sokka, but he was the exception to every rule.

Katara opened her mouth to comment on a particularly ridiculous looking gold monkey statue when she realized that Zuko was no longer with her. Confused, she glanced around the area and spotted him in front of another stand across the street. She shrugged and kept moving. He'd catch up with her.

A jewelry cart caught her eye and she wandered over to take a look. Three other girls who looked to be about her age were already there, giggling amongst each other as they remarked on the various pieces. As she approached, the girls' tittering became hushed. Katara wondered at their odd behavior but ignored them and scanned the items for sale. Unsurprisingly, most of the jewelry was gold, although there were a few silver pieces here and there, mostly at the lower end of the price range.

A throat cleared next to her, and she looked up to see the other girls looking at her.

"Um, why are you so tan?" the girl in the middle asked without preamble, "Did you forget lotion or something?"

The directness of the question caught Katara off guard. "No," she responded, wondering why the girl was asking.

"Mei, she's probably a servant," one of the other girls whispered, as if speaking softly would somehow spare Katara's feelings at being identified as such.

"Look at her clothes, she can't be," the third girl – a particularly tall girl – spoke up.

The first girl, Mei, gasped suddenly and brought her hand to her mouth. "You didn't _choose_ to look like that, did you?"

Offended, Katara furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong with having dark skin?"

"What's wrong?" Mei repeated, as if amazed that she had to ask. "It's trashy. It makes you look like a peasant."

"Or a _foreigner,_" the tall girl added, making a sour face as if the word left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I bet she's trying to get out of an arranged marriage!" the girl who called her a servant announced excitedly, as though she'd just solved a difficult puzzle, "I had a cousin who purposely made herself ugly so that her betrothed wouldn't want her anymore."

The other two looked scandalized. "_No_!" they said in perfect unison.

"It's true! She tanned her skin and everything. Worked like a charm, too. I heard the guy took one look at her and called the whole thing off right there and then."

"That's so _bad_!" the tall girl exclaimed, grinning behind her hand, and the three of them burst into giggles.

Katara took advantage of their distraction and excused herself, clutching the pieces of her self esteem. Was her coloring really that unattractive? She'd long since come to terms with the fact that she would always stand out among people from the other nations, but that had never been a _bad_ thing. Aang never cared, and the people of the Earth Kingdom didn't seem to either, but now she wasn't so sure. Did people look down on her because of her appearance? Did they think she was ugly?

Apparently here, having a tan was enough to end a betrothal.

She shook her head. The soldiers on the ship clearly hadn't minded her complexion. The men were even flirtatious with her. _They lived on a ship, though_, her brain reminded her,_ They would've spent a lot more time in the sun._

She perked up again when she remembered the tailor who'd sold her her new outfit. He'd called her lovely. He said that fine garments were attracted to fine women. _He was just being a salesman_, her brain betrayed her again, _And he was ancient. His eyesight was probably poor._

Why was she sabotaging herself like this? There was no reason to get upset over the gossip of a few prissy noble girls. She would never be ashamed of her nationality. The people of the Water Tribes were strong and proud, and so was she. If the other nations couldn't see that, then that was their loss.

That's what she told herself, even as hot pressure stung at the back of her eyes.

"Katara?"

At the sound of Zuko's voice behind her, she swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked several times to banish any traces of her weakness. She turned back to him with a playful glare and said, "I was about to leave you behind."

Zuko walked up next to her and smiled slightly, "I could tell. You were walking so fast that I almost thought losing me was your goal."

The statement was obviously meant to be joking, but there was a hint of relief in Zuko's eyes that told her he'd considered it. Taking a leaf out of Toph's book, she affectionately slapped him on the arm. "You can stop worrying, Zuko. I'm not going to give you the slip."

"I wasn't worried," he protested, but the conspicuous relaxing of his posture belied his words.

"What were you doing back there, anyway?" she asked curiously. "You just wandered off without saying anything."

Zuko's expression turned bashful and he rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "I got something for you."

Something for her? Like a present? Katara's curiosity quadrupled.

He reached into his tunic and pulled out a little tissue-wrapped parcel, handing it to her shyly. She looked at him unsurely and he nodded, encouraging her to open it. She untied the thin red ribbon and folded back the tissue paper to reveal a gold-trimmed, scarlet necklace. Sewed into the cloth at the center were tiny blue beads, delicately arranged in the shape of a flame.

"I figured that since you can't wear your mother's necklace here, I'd get you something to wear in its place. You know, so your neck won't look so bare," Zuko said, fidgeting awkwardly. "I saw this one and thought you'd like the blue, even though I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be Azula's blue fire, but I think it's pretty and that it'll look nice on you, so..." he seemed to realize that he was rambling and stopped himself, choosing instead to just look at her earnestly as he waited for her reaction.

"It's lovely," she said smiling at him reassuringly, "But you really didn't need to get this for me."

He shook his head. "I owe it to you. I kept your necklace from you for weeks, and like you told Jun, I wasn't even the one who gave it back in the end. I'm sorry. I can't go back in time and return it to you properly. All I can do is give you this one and hope it somewhat makes up for what I did."

It was probably the sweetest apology Katara had ever received. She never expected Zuko to go out of his way to make up for holding her mother's necklace hostage. She felt her heart swell in her chest and she smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Zuko. Your apology means a lot to me."

Zuko smiled back and stood just a little taller, clearly pleased with himself.

She clasped the band around her neck and stood just a little taller herself, shoving those noble girls' comments to the back of her mind. It didn't matter if the _whole world_ thought she was ugly. Wearing this necklace that Zuko had so thoughtfully picked out just for her, she felt pretty.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

Appa landed with a groan and Sokka and Suki hopped off wearily.

"Still no luck?" Hakoda asked, standing with the rest of the group, all of whom had gathered at the sight of the large white beast soaring in from the ocean.

Sokka shook his head. "No. We scoured the mountains, valleys, beaches, and even the temple again. We can't find them anywhere."

"They've got to be there somewhere," Aang said, crossing his arms and frowning. "Their stuff was gone from their rooms, right? That can only mean that they escaped."

"We did find something," Suki spoke up, "We think they camped near the shore of a lake about a league east of the temple."

"We found the remains of a campfire, along with some fish bones and apple cores," Sokka elaborated. "And I'm not sure what caused it, but there was a large patch of heavily burned earth next to the campfire. I'm assuming it was Zuko, but we can't rule out the possibility that Azula was involved."

A tense silence set over the group at those words.

"Well, at least we know which direction they were headed in," Toph said, moving the discussion along.

"That's the direction of the Earth Kingdom," Teo pointed out. "Maybe they left the island."

Chit Sang made a rumbly 'hmm'ing sound. "But how? Without a boat or an airship, they'd never make it across the ocean."

"They could've built a raft," Haru suggested.

"They're both very resourceful," Aang agreed. "And Katara could use her waterbending to propel them quickly across to the Earth Kingdom. It's not very far."

"We already considered that," Suki admitted, "But there are only a few stretches of beach where lumber can be carried to the shore, and none of those spots showed any signs of trees being cut."

Toph sighed and crossed her arms. "You'd think they'd've been smart enough to at least leave a clue or something."

"I just hope they're alright," Haru said with a worried look, "Of all the people for Katara to get stuck with, Zuko was probably the worst. We all know how she feels about him."

"You don't think she killed him, do you?" The Duke piped up, looking comically distressed.

At that moment, a piercing cry echoed from above. A cry that most of them had become very familiar with, and not in a good way.

Sokka was the first to react. "Everyone hide! It's a Fire Nation hawk!"

"Maybe it's Hawky," Toph said as everyone moved to find shelter from the hawk's keen eyes.

Sokka shook his head, more for the others' benefit than hers, and said. "No way. I _know_ Hawky's voice. This is an _enemy bird_."

"Always with you and the enemy birds," Toph muttered under her breath.

They all concealed themselves as best they could as the bird flew overhead, even going as far as holding their breath. Only when it appeared that it had safely passed them did they allow themselves to relax.

"That was a close one," Aang said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Everyone stay where you are!" Hakoda warned, "It's circling back."

Sokka peeked out around the rock he'd jumped behind, trying to get a better look, however the moment his head cleared the shelter, the hawk screeched again and entered into a steep dive. Straight toward him.

"Gah! It's after me!" he yelled, breaking from behind the rock and running in frantic circles around the camp. The hawk followed him, squawking irritatedly as it chased him round and round, avoiding the human's flailing arms trying to shoo it away.

As the hawk flapped around above the Water Tribe teen's head, Aang noticed the bright red tube strapped to its back. "Sokka, stop moving! It's got a message!" he called, realizing what the bird was here for.

Sokka came to a halt and looked up at his would-be attacker, seeing that Aang was right. Hesitantly, he held up his arm and the bird landed with a disgruntled squawk, lowering its head so that Sokka could reach the scroll. As soon as the cap was back on, it took off again.

"Who in the Fire Nation would be sending you mail?" Toph asked as the group came out of hiding. "And how did they even know where to find you?"

"Maybe it's from Master Piandao," Aang guessed.

Sokka unrolled the scroll cautiously, as if afraid that it would explode in his face. When it proved to be just ordinary parchment paper, he glanced at the first few lines.

His expression instantly turned excited. "Guys, it's from Katara!"

"Katara? Really?" Aang asked eagerly.

"Yeah, it's definitely her handwriting. And it starts, "Dear brother,"."

"Well hurry and read it, then!" Toph demanded impatiently.

Sokka nodded and cleared his throat for effect. "It says, 'Dear Brother, I hope this message finds you safely. Lee and I are fine. We left the temple and arrived in Fire Fountain City this morning–"

"Fire Fountain City?" Aang cut in, "That means they're in the Fire Nation!"

"How on earth did they get all the way over there?" Toph asked, holding out her hands wonderingly.

"I don't know, she doesn't say," Sokka replied, "Now pipe down and let me read." When he was sure he wouldn't be interrupted again, he continued, "'I'm writing you from the post office where you bought Hawky' – he pointedly skipped the part where she admonished him about his negligence – 'I hope you and the others are doing okay without us. The past few days have been a bit stressful, but we're managing alright. We're planning to spend a few nights at the Carmine Dragon-Moose Inn. If you want to meet up, just ask for Zora and Lee. Make sure Kuzon is keeping up with his bending practice. Hope to see you soon.' Signed, Zora."

"Why is she calling herself Zora? I thought she went by Sapphire," Toph said, confused.

"We need to go to that inn!" Aang cut in earnestly.

"Hold on, guys. There's a note from Zuko too," Sokka announced, waving his hand to keep their attention. "The first part is directed at you, Aang. He says to practice your breathing and do a hundred and fifty hot-squats before every meal."

"Figures," Aang grumbled, crossing his arms and scowling at the ground.

"What else did he say?" Suki asked.

"The rest is addressed to me." Sokka took a moment to read over the second half of the note and his expression changed to one of surprise. He looked up at the rest of them and said, "He says he has a vacation house on a place called Ember Island. He's suggesting that we hide there for the time being."

Chit Sang's face lit up in recognition. "Ember Island is a famous holiday spot north of the Fire Nation mainland. I've never been there myself, but it's the getaway of choice for the Caldera nobility."

"So he wants us to stay in his crazy dad's summer home?" Toph asked skeptically.

Sokka nodded. "He guarantees that it's safe. Apparently his family never goes there anymore."

"Not that I want to doubt him, but how can we be sure this isn't some kind of trap?" Haru asked hesitantly.

"It isn't," Aang said certainly, "I trust him. And we all know Katara wouldn't've let him send this if she didn't think that it was completely safe," Aang said certainly.

"Well that settles it, then," Sokka announced rolling up the scroll, "Pack up, everybody. We're going to the Fire Nation."

oO0Oo

Katara groaned from atop her rock. Her arms and legs were bruised and sore from kicking and blocking, and her rump hurt from landing on it a few too many times. Zuko was not a lenient instructor. He taught the way he did everything else; with fierce determination. He kept his hits light, of course, but he didn't let up on the intensity. They both knew there was no time for baby steps.

She pulled some water from the ocean far below and ran a healing hand over her abused appendages, sighing as the pain was soothed away.

"It would've been nice to have that ability when I was first learning," Zuko remarked above her, and she scooted over to make room for him to sit down as well.

She gave him a smug smile and said, "This is why waterbending is so clearly superior to the other elements."

"Is it, now?" he asked, amused.

"It is. And don't you forget it."

"I doubt you'd let me."

Katara sat up then, and arched an eyebrow at him. "You know, you used to be really arrogant. When I first met you, you would've said something like, "Raa! Fire is the best! You're just a stupid peasant! Raa! Raa!" What happened?"

Zuko made a surprised and then grumpy face. "I didn't sound like that!"

She crossed her arms and smirked at his denial. "You absolutely did. Admit it, you were a big conceited jerk."

Zuko's scowl deepened. "Well at least I'm not bossy little princess who can't go anywhere without her friends."

"Yes, thank the spirits for small favors. The world doesn't need another Azula."

"I was talking about you."

Katara bristled. "I'm not a bossy little princess!"

"Who was it that demanded a bedtime story?" he reminded her smugly.

"That doesn't count! I was... _under the influence_. And anyway, we were talking about you, not me."

Zuko lifted his legs up onto the rock and crossed them, resting his hands in his lap. He sighed. "I don't know. A lot has happened since then. I suppose you could say I've grown up a little."

"You are taller," she observed, grinning.

"Ha ha."

Katara's grin melted into a smile and she rolled partly onto her stomach, scooting across the rock until she was at an angle where she could lay her head on Zuko's thigh. The thought crossed her mind that what she was doing was weird, but it felt natural. Something about Zuko just made her feel all snuggly. She looked up at him and said, "Really, though, I think you have grown up a bit. You're not as angry anymore, and you're not as stuck up. You're actually a pretty nice guy."

Zuko had stiffened when she first laid her head on his leg, but after a moment he relaxed and shifted his arms behind him so that he was leaning back on them. "Really? I mean, you think so?"

She nodded, the movement hindered slightly by her new position. "I used to think of you as just another Fire Nation machine; another heartless tool for spreading war and destruction, but you're not. You're a person with feelings, just like me and Sokka and Aang. I'm sorry that it took me so long to see that."

"It's not your fault. You have every right to be angry after what my nation did to you."

She shook her head. "I've been blaming you for everything the Fire Nation has put me through, and that isn't fair. You weren't the one who ordered the raids on our tribe. You weren't the one who took our waterbenders away and locked them up in terrible prisons. You aren't the man who murdered my mother." She lowered her eyes. "I knew that, but.."

"Whenever you would imagine the face of the enemy, it was my face," Zuko said simply.

She nodded. "I couldn't separate my anger about what happened to my mother from my anger at you."

"It's okay. Agni knows I have a rich history of taking out my anger on people who don't deserve it. Besides, you had a legitimate reason to be angry with me. Or, well, I suppose you still have a legitimate reason to be angry with me." He lifted one of his arms and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Katara had to smile at that. "I'm not angry with you anymore," she confessed. "I'm still upset about what you did back then, but I can't seem to find it in myself to be mad at you anymore. You've been so nice to me these last few days– you even saved my life. You didn't have to do that. You could've just let me drown and I would've been out of your hair forever, no skin off your neck. But you didn't, because despite everything, you're a good person."

She felt the weight of a hand settle on her hair and she unconsciously snuggled her cheek against the fabric of over his leg.

"I don't want you out of my hair," he said seriously. Then he blushed and said, "I mean, not that I want you _in_ my hair... Well, I don't really mind you touching my hair if you _need_ to, for wrapping my eye and stuff. It's not like I _like_ it or anything..."

_Dork_.

Katara suppressed her smile into his leg. He really was the biggest dork in the history of dorks.

Zuko cleared his throat and abruptly announced, "I think we've rested long enough. We should probably get some bending practice in before evening. Do you want to spar?"

She shook her head and said hesitantly, "Actually, I kind of want to try meditating again."

Zuko's good eye widened and he looked down at her like she was crazy. "You what? But last time..."

"It's okay," she assured him, "We're on solid land. It's not like I'm going to drown if I pass out here."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't pass out at all," he protested.

His concern was touching, but this was something Katara felt she needed to do. She couldn't go on not knowing what was happening within her own body; it was dangerous. What if she fainted in the middle of a fight? She couldn't take that chance.

"I can't keep ignoring this," she told him firmly. "Don't you want to know why your chi is behaving strangely?"

Zuko frowned frustratedly. "I do, but..."

She sat up, dislodging his hand on her back, and put her own on his shoulder. "Just keep a close eye on me. If you think something's not right, you can snap me out of it."

Zuko gave her a hard, disapproving look, but when she didn't back down, his expression softened and he nodded reluctantly. "I _will_ stop you," he promised resolutely. "If I think there's _any_ danger..."

She smiled and gave him a pat. "I know."

She rose and walked a few steps away, depositing herself onto the ground – she didn't feel like falling off the rock if she passed out again. Zuko watched her like a hawk as she crossed her legs and settled her hands in her lap.

Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes and began searching for her chi paths. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon and the moon was now waning, she didn't have much trouble feeling out the rather distinct column of energy running up her spine. It seemed the more she meditated, the easier it became to sense the pathways within her body. That was good. Being able to easily sense her chi meant it would also be easier for her to control it.

The flow of her energy was just as she remembered from the last two times. She followed it as it flowed through her, so much like the blood in her veins. There was a strange sense of calm and welcoming as she traced its route, as though she had finally come home after a long, long trip. However, when she reached that first point at the base of her spine, the gentle, steady flow became heavy and lethargic, and the peaceful feeling abruptly fled. A dark, ominous feeling settled in its place, and all at once, she felt a powerful urge to retreat.

This was different than the other times. The experience was a hundred times sharper and a thousand times more terrifying.

Despite her trepidation, her instincts told her to press on. She'd made up her mind to go through with this, and she wasn't go to quit until she saw it through.

Swallowing her apprehension, she pushed forward into the first point of energy. The effect was enormous. Suddenly images began to flash through her mind's eye, terrible images. She saw Aang hovering in the air, illuminated by green crystals, and a flash of white as lightning surged through him. She saw Sokka and her dad, run through by Fire Nation spears. She saw armored troops storming her village and her grandmother and the other women and children dropping, one by one, as they tried to flee. She saw Toph and Suki lying in pools of their own blood, their flesh warped by fire. She saw towns burning and a shadowy figure that could only be Ozai looking over the destruction, Azula at his side.

Katara tried to turn and run, but her path was blocked by a tall figure with a smoldering gold eyes. He threw his head back and laughed, a horrible, evil sound, as embers and ash swirled in the smoke-choked air around him. _"You stupid girl,"_ he taunted cruelly, _"Did you really think I'd changed?"_ Katara's eyes widened in terrible understanding and she began backing away, but Zuko grabbed her wrists, pulling her back to him. _"You were right all along. You never should've trusted me."_

Biting back a scream, she wrenched herself free, from both his grip and the swirling point of power at the base of her spine. The bodies and the smoke and Zuko's face faded, and Katara was left gasping in total darkness. She reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow and was taken aback when she saw not her own, grown, hand, but a small, mittened one. Confused, she glanced up again and saw that the darkness had become the inside of her family's old home.

The thing that stole her attention, however, was the lifeless body on the ground and the man standing over it. "Mom!" she cried in a high pitched, childish voice.

"_She's dead,"_ the man said, staring down at her with hard, unapologetic eyes. _"She died for __**you**__. Your brother and father have to live without a mother and a wife now, all because of your waterbending."_

Katara covered her mouth and shook her head, taking a few steps backward before whirling around and bolting from the tent. Instead of her snowy village, however, she found herself in darkness once again.

She fell to her knees and began to cry. What was this? Why was she seeing these things? Her mother's corpse... _that man._ It was too much.

"_You would cry, wouldn't you?"_ came a mocking voice from above her.

She looked up and suddenly the darkness was replaced by a canopy of autumn colored trees and a face she'd thought she would never see again.

"Jet," she said hoarsely.

Jet grunted in answer. _"You always were weak."_

Katara wiped her eyes and glared up at him. "I'm _not_ _weak_."

The freedom fighter lifted an arched eyebrow. _"Oh really? Because, it was __**all too easy**__ to get you to follow _me_. But then again, you can't resist a good-looking guy, can you? You couldn't even stay mad at that Fire Nation scum, Prince Zuko." _He scowled at her then and leaned forward intimidatingly. _"His people destroyed your tribe and broke apart your family, Katara!"_

She shook her head. "He's not-" she tried to protest, but Jet cut her off.

"_You're pathetic. He's got you wrapped around his little finger. And for what? You think he actually likes you? That he enjoys spending time with you?"_ He barked out a single, condescending laugh._ "You're just an ugly little Water Tribe peasant. Don't flatter yourself."_

He spat out the stock of grass that was ever in his mouth and scowled down at her, disappointment clear in his expression. _"What would your fallen tribesmen think, if they could see you now?"_

Shame flushed Katara's cheeks and she hugged her arms, trying to make herself as small as possible. It was true. Those girls at the market had said it themselves, she was ugly and foreign looking. Zuko was the epitome of good breeding. She wasn't worth his time. Moreover, her mother had sacrificed herself so that she could be free from the Fire Nation, and here she was, falling right into their prince's hands.

Katara didn't notice that the world had gone dark again until she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up again, coming face to face with sad blue eyes.

"_My poor baby girl,"_ her mother said, moving her hand to cup her daughter's tear-stained cheek, _"You've had to grow up all alone." _She smiled and opened her arms, and Katara felt fresh tears slide down her face. She lunged forward into her mother's arms, desperate for their comforting embrace after so many years, but she passed right through, colliding roughly with hard snow.

She didn't even bother to pull herself up, just remained there, crying pitifully in a heap as the image faded once more.

When she finally steeled herself to look up again, she was shocked to see her own face looking back at her.

"_The Fire Nation took my mother away from me,"_ she heard herself say coldly, _"I will never forgive them."_

Katara hardly had the will left, but she had to make a stand; despite the pain and confusion, a part of her was crying out, telling her this wasn't right. "Not everyone from the Fire Nation is bad," she argued, but her voice sounded weak, even to her. Mustering up her usual defiance, she managed some strength in her next words. "They're just mislead. The Fire Nation is full of good people! Zuko is-"

"_Zuko is a back-stabbing cretin. His bloodline is a scourge on this world!"_ her image said, and Katara recognized her words as the very same she herself had uttered to Suki, the day she attacked Zuko in the library. _"He's already betrayed everyone who ever loved him. He doesn't deserve forgiveness, and neither do his people." _

Katara's defiance crumbled. _He doesn't deserve forgiveness_, she repeated in her head.

She thought of Zuko; smiling, teasing her, being awkward, doing nice things for her, making sure she was comfortable, holding her hand, teaching her to fight.

_Zuko is a traitor. He will betray me again._

The darkness returned, and this time, Katara felt only numbness.

Instead of shifting to another scene, the space around her remained silent and empty. She wondered if this was the end. As if in answer to her thought, Katara heard footsteps behind her. She tensed but didn't turn around.

The footsteps came to a stop a few feet away.

"_We're just too different,"_ an all-too-recognizable raspy voice cut through the silence. His tone was calm and detached. Matter of fact. _"You and I were never meant to come together like this."_

Another set of footsteps joined him.

"_The four nations have to be four,"_ a young female voice, for once completely free of snark, said simply.

Katara still refused to turn around.

A third, noticeably lighter pair of footsteps stopped alongside the others.

"_Fate brought us together to fight in this war, but there can only be one bridge between our peoples,"_ a new, equally young but expectedly masculine voice contributed. _"The different elements will never see eye to eye."_

Katara had nothing to say to them. She was tired of arguing.

"_Face me, Katara."_ The utterance was an uncanny amalgamation of all three of her friends' voices.

She screwed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"_Face me, Katara."_ This time it was her father's voice.

She hunched her shoulders and covered her ears, trying to shut them out. To no avail.

"_Face me."_ Now it was Sokka.

"_Face me."_ Jet.

"_Face me."_ Her mother.

"_Turn around and face me, Katara!"_ her own voice demanded.

She couldn't take it anymore. With a cry, she spun around and prepared to lunge at the image behind her, however she stopped dead when she encountered not herself, or even the owners of any of the other voices, but billowing white robes and crystal blue eyes.

"_You have the chance to achieve a glorious destiny," _the shimmering phantom spoke, her voice echoing yet clear in the vast nothingness surrounding them,_ "Don't let it get away."_

Light exploded behind Katara's eyes and power surged inside her body, and all at once she was back in the real world, but she barely noticed through the wild rush of emotions and sensations assaulting her from every direction at once. All that registered was the fact that she was now standing, and the terrified face of the boy at her feet.

Katara's gaze locked on gold eyes, and hot fury, greater than any she had ever felt, consumed her.

"You!" she screamed down at him, "_You_!"

Zuko tried to speak, "Katara! What are you-" but she cut him off. She refused to ever listen to him again.

"_I hate you_!" She felt tears, she felt rage, she felt sick. "Monster!" Her voice cracked from the intensity of her screaming.

She felt his blood, rushing with adrenaline, and she knew without having to even think about it that she could seize it. She had the power. She didn't need a full moon. She didn't need a moon at all. _I can break him! I __**should**__ break him! It's what he deserves!_

She wanted to. She _longed_ to. She raised her hands and curled her fingers like a puppeteer, completely prepared to make him sorry by whatever means necessary.

Then she saw his face. He was staring at her, eyes wide, his expression frozen in stunned disbelief, but what stopped her was the look in his eyes. The betrayal. She faltered, unconsciously relaxing her hands out of their bending position. She took an uncertain step forward and Zuko cringed back, still with that kicked polar dog look on his face. His expression changed, then, and Katara could honestly say that she'd never seen a person look more hurt than Zuko did right at that moment.

The intense rage disappeared as quickly as it had come, and with it, her power. The sudden return to clarity knocked her for a loop, but she didn't pass out. _What have I done?_

Her own eyes widened as she stared into his. She dropped her arms fully and slowly shook her head, not sure exactly what message she hoped to relay to Zuko by doing it, but wanting him to at least understand that she was just as confused as he was. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand toward him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Stay away from me!" he snapped, withdrawing from her even further.

"Zuko-"

"Don't!" He clenched the front of his tunic, the spot over his heart, then quickly released it, swallowing visibly. "I can't." He swallowed again. "I can't play this game with you."

Katara had no idea what he was talking about. She tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he jerked away violently. "Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me!" he all but snarled.

She pulled her hand back and clutched it to her chest, struck by the venom in his voice and in his gaze.

"Stop jerking me around!" he said, getting to his feet without breaking eye contact with her. "I'm not your toy to play with!"

Realization hit her, and she shook her head again. "I'm not, I didn't- I didn't mean it!"

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Really? Then what _did_ you mean, Katara?"

"I didn't mean anything! I wasn't thinking straight."

When he didn't say anything, she went on. "When I was meditating I had these... _visions_. I saw and heard horrible things, and they got to me. I'm sorry."

Zuko now regarded her warily. "What kinds of _visions_?"

"Terrible ones. I saw the corpses of my friends and family as the world went up in flames. I tried to run, but you were there. You laughed at me and told me that I was right all along about you and that I never should've trusted you. That was just the first. There were others; one where someone I used to know told me that you were just using me, and that I was betraying my people by consorting with you, and another where a vision of myself told me that you were nothing but a traitor and that you would turn on me again."

"Were all of these visions about me?"

"No, but you did come up in a lot of them. Maybe because we've been spending so much time together lately."

"I see."

His tone was clipped, and Katara felt like she still wasn't quite getting through to him. "Please, Zuko, I don't know what happened or why I saw those things. I was confused and hurt, and when I saw you, I just... snapped."

Her mouth went dry as she recalled what she'd been about to do, and she hugged her arms and looked down at the ground in shame. She had nearly done something horrible and unforgivable. The sick feeling from before returned with a vengeance. _I'm a monster_, she thought, swallowing shakily. _I could've... I nearly..._

She looked up at Zuko with horror-stricken eyes. He had no idea what she'd almost done to him. He didn't know what she was capable of. He would've been powerless to stop her.

"...Katara?" A small amount of concern had entered Zuko's voice.

She bit her lip and hugged herself tighter. Even now, when she had hurt him so badly, he still said her name like she was worth something to him.

_I'm the one who doesn't deserve forgiveness_.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," she said, choking back more tears, "I'm so _so_ sorry."

Zuko's expression softened. He tentatively reached out, and, after a moment of deliberation, took her hand.

She felt his pulse through his palm, steady and strong, and all she could think was that she'd almost stopped it. She squeezed his hand tightly and bowed her head, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.

What was happening to her?

Why did it feel like she didn't have control over her own mind and body anymore?

oO0Oo

They walked back to the inn in silence. Katara wasn't sure if Zuko's previous gesture translated as forgiveness or if he'd simply been pitying her. He hadn't said anything to her after that, and he seemed determined to keep it that way.

His face was now set in that blasted unreadable expression so, she had absolutely no idea what he was thinking. Normally, that would've driven her crazy. Now, though, she was too numb to muster up any feeling other than self-loathing.

When they arrived, the tavern was overflowing with soldiers, eating and drinking in merriment, probably celebrating similar promotions to the ones the soldiers on their own ship had received. At least _they_ were happy, she thought resentfully.

She and Zuko found a vacant table at the back of the room and waited for a barmaid to come by so that they could order their dinner. Despite sitting across from each other, they both religiously avoided eye contact with one another. Zuko stared at the table and Katara allowed her eyes travel around the room, vaguely listening to the conversations around her to distract herself from the silent prince across from her.

At a table to her left, a group of younger soldiers were discussing their plans for after the war, which they obviously believed would end when Sozin's comet came.

"I'm gonna earn a medal in the imperial air fleet and show it to my girl back home," one of them was saying, "She said she'd marry me if I managed to rustle up some honor in battle."

"Nice, man. But my bird doesn't care about glory. She's ready for me anytime," his buddy said smugly.

Somewhere behind her, another bunch of soldiers seemed to be comparing battle scars. "This one is from an uppity earthbender back in New Ozai. Needless to say, he ain't uppity no more." This statement was followed by a round of laughter from the others. Katara clenched her hands into fists in her lap, but otherwise didn't react.

The barmaid finally arrived and briefly described the night's meal. They both just nodded at her, and she departed again to fetch their food.

Somewhere across the room, there was a cheery cry of "Eeey!" accompanied by more laughter and a few whistles. Zuko continued to gaze intently at the piece of wood in front of him, and Katara sighed, slouching somewhat in her seat. She hadn't felt this depressed and uncomfortable since... she couldn't remember when.

A few minutes later, the barmaid returned with their dinner. She set their plates in front of them and left without a word. It seemed even she could sense the tension between them. They began to eat, and still the awful silence remained. Katara wanted to say something, anything, but she didn't want to risk making things even worse between them.

"Bunch of fools, the lot of 'em," someone muttered a short distance to her right. She glanced over and saw a bunch of older men in officers' regalia sitting around a small round table just a few paces away. They looked distinctly less enthusiastic than the other soldiers in the tavern. "Think they're going to get rewarded for this," he continued, "Pah! Hardly any glory left for anyone these days."

"Not since Fire Lord Ozai took the throne," one of the other men agreed.

The first man snorted and crossed his arms. "I've got buddies who dedicated their whole lives to this war, and what do they get for it? A mass-copied letter from the Fire Lord saying "Your term of service has expired, enjoy your retirement" and a small box of gold pieces. At their rank, they should've received a _trunk_ full of gold and had their whole family's status elevated. That was the standard under Fire Lord Azulon."

"Hear hear," the other men said, banging the bottoms of their mugs on the table.

"It doesn't matter what you've done for your country, only the favorites are ever given proper dues anymore," a third man groused, taking a draught from his stein. "Just look at old admiral Han." There were murmurs of agreement from the rest.

"Or Captain Yon Rha," the second man said, leaning back in his chair. "Shoulda been given a nice house in the capital for what he did, but instead he's back in Nanguang with that cranky old harpy he calls a mother."

"Why? What'd he do?" a fourth man, a larger officer with a big bushy beard, asked.

"You don't know him?" the first man said, raising his eyebrows. "Well I guess that makes sense, since you've been stationed up north so long. Yon Rha was the former leader of the Southern Raiders."

The bearded man's eyebrows rose in recognition. "Ah, you're talking about the man who found and killed that last waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe. He's really living in a dump like Nanguang?"

They kept talking, but Katara didn't hear them. She squeezed her chopsticks so hard they cracked before dropping them onto her plate. In her mind's eye, she saw the man who murdered her mother staring down at her with so much apathy. Her blood boiled.

Zuko must've heard them as well, because he was now looking at her in with an expression of grim understanding.

"I need to go there," she said levelly, despite the raging emotions inside her.

Zuko nodded, and, for the first time since they left the bluffs, he spoke to her.

"I know."

oO0Oo

Okay, this was a week late, but at least I didn't make you all wait another month. I got a little stuck in writer's sludge, and even though I knew exactly where I wanted to go, I was having trouble figuring out how to get there.

Thanks for sticking with me through the end of chapter thirteen! This was a pretty dramatic chapter. Hmm, crit is really hitting the fan now. Things went from fluffy to over-baked crap-muffin in like two seconds flat. Both parties suffered a bit of an emotional upheaval in this chapter. I'm sorry about that, but it was necessary. You know, plot and everything. This story still has it.

I know most of you were hoping to actually see Yon Rha in this chapter, but alas, this bit was just to introduce him. You'll get your Southern Raiders fix soon enough.

Next Chapter: Field trip! (of dooooooom)


	14. Midnight

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Fourteen

Midnight

Katara couldn't sleep. She couldn't even think about sleep. She felt restless, but for once it wasn't due to chi or fighting or anything like that. Her mind was filled with thoughts of vengeance. Of merciless reprisal. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw _that man's_ face. It was as if she were 8 years old all over again. Every night, for weeks after her mother's death, that man's cruel eyes had haunted her dreams. Sokka and her dad had mourned, but they hadn't seen what she had seen; they had no face to tie to her killer. Katara did, and while the nightmares eventually stopped, the memory never faded.

Giving up on rest for the time being, she lifted her covers and silently slipped out of bed. Cautious of her sleeping roommate, she carefully felt around in the dark for her sandals and carried them with her to the door, waiting until she was out in the hall to put them on. She hadn't bothered to change out of her clothing before bed–she had no sleeping clothes to change into–so she was set to go the moment her shoes were on her feet.

Stepping out into the night, she was hit by a wave of warm, muggy air. She rubbed her bare arms as her skin responded to the sudden change in humidity. The waning moon was bright in the midnight sky, but even its calming light could not settle the dark feelings churning inside her. What would she do when she found that man? She knew what she wanted to do. Oh, she knew that well. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted him to suffer for what he did. She'd never felt bloodlust as strongly as she did when she thought of _that man_. Not even with Zuko.

Every part of her wanted to see him pay, and that realization scared her.

She walked aimlessly through the town, letting the moon be her guide. Fire Fountain City had a reputation for being a less than savory place after dark, but tonight the town was still and silent. Even the streets in front of the pubs and taverns were vacant. It gave her the creeps.

An uneasy feeling began to grow in her chest, and she turned around and began heading back to the inn. After a few blocks, however, it became clear that she didn't know the route as well as she thought she did. Every direction looked foreign in the shadowy cover of night, and she was reminded of her midnight race through the Western Air Temple as she ran from Aang. She stood still for a few moments, deliberating on which street to take, and the uneasy feeling grew stronger. She felt the small hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Someone was watching her.

She picked a random direction and began walking, her ears and eyes open for any sign of pursuit. Her primary senses picked up nothing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was there. She picked up her pace and continued on. If she kept walking in a straight line, she would eventually reach the outskirts of town. There, if it turned out that someone _was_ following her, she would be able to bend with less risk of being seen.

She saw a line of trees in the distance and made for them, quickening her pace even more. Whoever was following her was good, she'd give them that much credit. There was no whisper of footfalls behind her, no flicker of shadow from the rooftops. She'd never felt more alone. She'd never felt more hunted. But who would be following her? Nobody knew that she and Zuko were here in this town. And even if they did, how would they have known she'd be out right now? Were they waiting for her to leave Zuko so that they could get her by herself? But why would they come after only her? Zuko was worth far more to the Fire Nation than she was.

By the time she made it to the tree line, Katara had broken into a full on sprint. Whoever was after her would have to work if they wanted to catch her.

She ran through bushes and brambles, ignoring the frequent sting of flora scraping against flesh as she barreled deeper into the thicket. She stopped when she burst out of the trees and into a wide meadow, and she sucked in a breath when the moon illuminated the ground. The entire area was carpeted with hundreds upon hundreds of fire lilies.

"Katara."

Her blood turned to ice in her veins when she heard the person's voice. Old and gravelly and _impossible_. She slowly pivoted around to face the speaker, dread pulling at her stomach.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" the old woman said conversationally, tilting her head and smiling warmly.

"Hama," Katara breathed, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. What was she doing here? She'd been handed over to the authorities. Katara had watched her get taken away!

"You remember me. That warms my heart," Hama responded, still smiling pleasantly.

"But how..."

"Come now," she said in a reprimanding tone, "You didn't think you'd be rid of me that easily? You can't escape my influence."

"I don't want anything to do with you!"

"You'd let the Fire Nation win? Simply because of your own childish morals?" Hama said sharply. "I thought you hated them. They don't deserve mercy, Katara. You _know_ that."

Katara's mind was still reeling from her one time mentor's sudden appearance. "They're not all bad. Most of them are good people. They've just been tricked, that's all."

Hama gave her a unsettlingly understanding look. "It's that brat, isn't it? The prince you're traveling with."

Katara took a step back. "How– how did you...?"

"Water is drawn to fire, my dear. Fire to darkness, and darkness to silence. You'll never get anywhere if you don't understand that." Her face twisted into an ugly scowl then. "You mustn't let him lead you down that path. All that awaits you is ruin."

Katara shook her head vehemently. "You don't know anything about him! Zuko is–"

Her words were cut off by an iron force clamping over her entire body. Her eyes widened in horror. _Impossible! It's not a full moon!_

Her legs collapsed and she was forced to the ground. She looked up to find Hama standing over her, arms outstretched like a puppeteer and a wicked smile on her wrinkled face. "Don't tell me what I do and don't know about the Fire Nation, girl. You think I didn't meet any nice people, living in that town? That place was full 'good people', always there to offer an old lady a helping hand, looking out for one another. But none of that matters. When push comes to shove, they'll betray you. They don't work the way we do in the Water Tribes. They're parasites. They'll take what they want and then leave you dry. Don't tell me that prince isn't the same."

Katara struggled against the old woman's hold on her blood. She wouldn't listen to this. Maybe Zuko _had_ betrayed; betrayed her, betrayed his uncle, betrayed his father; but he was doing everything he could to make it up to the people who deserved his repentance. "He's not!" she ground out. "Zuko wouldn't abandon me. I–" she looked directly into Hama's eyes, "I trust him."

It was the first time she'd allowed herself to speak those words aloud. In her heart, she had known for some time that her feelings for Zuko had changed, but she had never spoken it out of fear. She trusted him. She really did.

"You're a fool!" Hama spat, glaring down at her furiously. "Where is he now? What good is your faith in him when he isn't even here to help you?" Her grip tightened even further and Katara felt her cheek press into the ground. "Surely by now he's noticed that you're gone. Perhaps if I make you scream he'll come running? Let's find out."

The old woman's vice-like grip turned further inward, and Katara felt a pressure on her lungs as the blood vessels running along them constricted suddenly. She gasped and sucked in a breath, and the expanding of her diaphragm pulled on the vessels attached to her unexpanded lungs, causing them to be pulled unnaturally. The pain was excruciating. It felt like her chest was being ripped apart on the inside. In her panic, she started hyperventilating, which served only to further the torture. She began to cry from the pain as she gasped, her body trying to put air in her lungs even as each breath tore her insides further.

"Oh, that's right. You can't scream without air, can you? Silly me."

The pressure released and Katara curled up on the ground, sobbing as pain continued to wrack her insides. She coughed and blood spattered over the lilies in front of her. _Someone help me!_ She thought desperately. _Zuko! _Her right hand automatically lifted to her chest to grab at the coin tucked away inside her bindings.

_Zuko won't come_, her brain reminded her. She'd hurt him badly this afternoon. She'd destroyed the fragile bond they'd only just created with one another. _It's all my fault. All my–_

The pressure reappeared, this time closing around her wildly beating heart. It squeezed, hard, and Katara clawed at the ground as a terrible scream bubbled up through her larynx, fed by her damaged lungs.

Hama smiled insanely as she screamed and screamed, clamping even harder over the abused muscle as her prey writhed on the ground. "Where is he, Katara?" she gloated gleefully, "Why hasn't he come?"

_Help me!_

"Well, Katara?"

_Someone, please!_

"Katara!"

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

Katara's eyes snapped open. The pain abruptly disappeared, as did the flowers and the maniacal old woman standing over her. Actually, everything was completely dark. Was she dead? Had Hama killed her? Suddenly the darkness lifted and she was staring up at Zuko, who was holding a pillow in his hand.

"Thank Agni, you're awake," he said, lowering the pillow.

"Z- Zuko," she stuttered uncomprehendingly.

Zuko pursed his lips, but his eyes softened as they settled on hers. "You wouldn't stop screaming. What were you dreaming about?"

"Dreaming? I don't..." It was a dream?

Katara closed her eyes and relaxed against the mattress. Of course it was a dream. Hama was gone; locked up. There was no way she would be in Fire Fountain City. "Nothing. It was nothing."

Right now was not the time to bring up her experience with Hama. La only knew what Zuko would think of her if he knew what she was capable of; what Hama had done to her. What she'd nearly done to _him_.

Her eyes opened again when she felt Zuko's hand grasp hers. She looked up to see his gaze still fixed on her own. He looked almost uncertain for a moment, and his eyes flickered away briefly before returning to hers with a sure intensity. "I trust you too, Katara."

Katara threw her unoccupied hand across her face as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p><p>

Epic pillow smothering maneuver!

Props to anyone who noticed the Princess Tutu reference in this chapter. ;P

Sorry this one is so short, but I wanted to get _something_ up for you guys, since I made you all wait through Zutara Month. (which I still haven't finished. Derp.) I wanted them to begin the trek to Yon Rha's pad in this chapter, but I had to push that back. Hope you all don't mind too much. I'm especially sorry to you, Guest-who-left-me-like-15-reviews-begging-for-an-update. I've been in your shoes, dawg. I know I'm a terrible person. :P

This was another dramatic one, but at least Zuko and Katara are making progress with each other. Thanks for all the glorious reviews for the last chapter. You guys are all completely awesome. I wasn't expecting such an overwhelming response. Pardon me while I grin like an idiot. I never expected this story to become so popular. When I started, I was expecting this story to max out at about fifty reviews. Now I have over four hundred! You guys are seriously the best. Rock on, Avatar fandom!

Next Chapter: Really gonna hit the road this time, I swear.


	15. Converging

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Fifteen

Converging

They left at dawn, leaving a note with the innkeeper for Sokka. According to the map the innkeeper was kind enough to let them see, Nanguang was on the southernmost island of the Fire Nation archipelago. They would have to take a boat to get there.

They headed for the port, where sailors, fishermen and dockhands were already busily preparing for the day. They passed the fishing and shipping boats, looking for the section designated for passenger vessels. From there, it didn't take long to locate a ship bound for the island they wanted. It wouldn't take them directly to Nanguang, but traveling by foot wasn't exactly a new thing for either of them. Zuko paid the ferryman, and an hour and a half later they were back on the open sea.

Katara stood on the deck while Zuko took their bags to their cabin. The trip would take two days, just slightly shorter than the amount of time they spent on the Western Raiders' ship. She stared out over the ocean, ignoring the few other passengers milling around on deck; mostly families on the last leg of their journey home from vacationing in the eastern isles. Katara could tell from overhearing their conversations.

The idea of taking a vacation was still foreign to her. Nobody in the water tribes "vacationed". Where would they go? Not to mention that there was far too much work to be done around the tribe to leave for any extended period of time. What a life of luxury and leisure the people of the Fire Nation must lead, if they could drop everything and "vacation" whenever the urge struck. Perhaps she was being a bit unfair. The people of the Fire Nation were suffering just like the rest of the world–she'd seen it herself–but the nature of her mission was stirring up old resentment.

Her hands gripped the ship's railing more tightly. She couldn't allow herself to think like this. Bitterness wasn't helpful, and in the end it would only drag her down. Bitterness led to hatred, and hatred to violence. That was the path Hama took. Katara refused to follow that road.

Out on the open sea, the air was calm, but Katara could see dark clouds in the distance. A storm was coming. She wondered how long until it would be upon them.

"Mommy, that girl has weird skin," she heard a child say, a few meters away.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the boy's mother hush him and heard her say, "She probably just spent too much time in the sun. This is why we always play under umbrellas, dear."

Katara crossed her arms over the railing and laid her chin on her forearms, ignoring the mother and son by focusing on the sound of the waves breaking against the side of the ship.

Soon, she would find the man who took her mother from her. Soon, she would have her revenge.

Another person settled himself beside her, and she tilted her head to find Zuko gazing out over the ocean along with her.

"What are you going to do when you find him?" he asked softly, his eyes still fixed on the small, choppy waves.

"I don't know," she replied honestly.

Zuko didn't inquire any further; simply leaned his weight on the railing and continued to face forward.

"Zuko?" she said after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I really am."

He shook his head. "It's okay."

She bit her lip and deliberated for a few moments before peeking up at him apprehensively and asking, "Are you mad at me?"

Zuko finally met her gaze. "No."

"You're not just saying that?"

Zuko gave her a puzzled look and said, "Of course I'm not. Anyway, did you want to see the cabin?"

Katara followed him into the superstructure and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. If she was going to face her mother's killer, she'd rather have Zuko there supporting her.

No, she'd rather have Zuko there in general.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Ty Lee whooped as she and Lulu sped over the volcanic plains, leaping over rocks and darting around the sparse trees. After many meaningful talks and several cow-pigs' worth of steaks, the two had finally come to an understanding. After that, Lulu had picked up the trail, and now they were on the first of the Eastern Isles, racing toward, of all places, Fire Fountain City.<p>

"What would they be doing there?" she asked the brown beast below her.

Lulu tossed her head, which Ty Lee chose to take as a signal that her traveling companion didn't know either.

Ty Lee bit her lip and looked anxiously toward the horizon. "To tell you the truth, I kind of hope we don't find them," she confessed, then immediately looked around to make sure Azula hadn't somehow magically appeared and heard her. Luckily, not even Azula could teleport. At least, Ty Lee hoped she couldn't.

"I don't know for sure what she plans to do when she finds them, but I do know it won't be a warm hello," she continued. "Azula and Zuko... they've been pitted against each other for so long. I can only imagine what it must feel like for them. I have six sisters, you know? And they all look exactly like me. There was a lot of competition between us because we all wanted to be recognized, but at the end of the day, we still love each other. I think that deep down, Zuko and Azula must love each other too. They've just inherited a conflict, and it isn't really theirs, but they can't see that, and I..." she trailed off and lowered her head sadly. "I'm just worried that Azula's gonna do something that she'll really regret."

Lulu seemed to sense her master's distress and made a whining sound.

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to see Azula hurt Zuko, but I don't want my new friends to be hurt either. What should I do?"

Lulu offered no answer.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>"Fire Fountain City," Sokka said, looking around at the familiar white-washed buildings and gigantic Ozai statue.<p>

"You said you've been here before?" Haru asked, glancing around nervously and tugging at the sleeve of his impromptu Fire Nation disguise. He had been brought along for emergency manpower.

"Yeah. When we were hiding out before the invasion," Sokka answered.

"Alright guys, we're looking for the Carmine Dragon-Moose Inn," Suki declared. "Do you know where that is, Sokka?"

Sokka shook his head. He hadn't had much reason to pay attention to inns during their last visit.

Suki glanced around the square and then walked over to an older man standing nearby. "Excuse me, sir," she said, grabbing his attention, "Do you know where I can find the Carmine Dragon-Moose Inn?"

The man pointed across the square. "Right there."

"Thank you," she said, smiling sweetly.

The man blushed slightly and nodded.

Suki rejoined the boys and said, "There, that wasn't too hard."

"Awesome! We've got our place," Sokka said excitedly, throwing his fist in the air. "Now let's find my sister and Zuko."

They hurried over to the inn, anticipation quickening their gait. At last, they would be reunited with their missing friends. There would be lots of hugging and joy and they would all climb on Appa and return to the beach house where there would be even more hugging and joy, and then they would go back to preparing for the comet and everything would go back to normal.

Sokka swallowed the butterflies in his stomach as he marched up to the innkeeper and said, "Hi, I'm looking for Zora and Lee."

"And your name, sir?" the innkeeper asked.

"Fire. Wang Fire."

The innkeeper gave him a funny look, as if saying _are you for real?_ but kept his mouth shut. "I'm afraid your sister and her husband left earlier this morning."

Sokka suppressed an incredulous look._ Husband? _Then the second part of the innkeeper's sentence registered. _Wait, they left? Wha__t did he mean, they left?_

"They gave this note to me to give to you," the innkeeper went on, fishing a piece of parchment from behind the counter.

Sokka snatched the note from him and read it quickly.

_Dear brother,_

_Lee and I left to take care of some pressing business. We'll be back in a few days. _

_-Love, Zora_

Sokka crumpled the note in his hand. "Where did they go?" he asked the innkeeper seriously.

The man raised an eyebrow. "To a town called Nanguang in the south, I think. They mentioned it while they were looking at my map."

"Nanguang?" Suki muttered, looking confused. "What's so pressing there that they had to leave when they knew we were coming?"

"If you want to go after them, I believe there's another boat leaving tomorrow," the innkeeper said helpfully. "Your other friend caught the last one leaving today."

Sokka gave the man an uncomprehending look. "What other friend?"

"A girl, about your age, wore pink, long brown hair in a braid, cheerful disposition," he described.

Suki and Sokka looked at each other in horror. "That's gotta be Ty Lee," Sokka whispered.

"But how? Wasn't she...?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Thank you," Haru said to the innkeeper as they walked back outside.

"This is bad. This is really bad," Sokka said as soon as they were out on the street.

"Why? Who's Ty Lee?" Haru asked.

"One of Azula's cronies," Sokka answered. "I'll bet Azula asked her to track us down."

"She must've somehow picked up Katara and Zuko's trail," Suki deduced. "Although why Azula would send her after she betrayed her is anyone's guess."

"In any case, we need to find them before she does," Sokka declared, heading toward the outskirts of town where they'd parked Appa.

_I'll find you, sis,_ he thought determinedly. _I'll bring you home._

OO0Oo

Katara squirmed under the covers of her small cot. She couldn't sleep. It wasn't that she wasn't tired. She was _exhausted_. What kept her up, she was ashamed to admit, was fear. She was afraid of the dreams she might have. She remembered the pain and the taste of blood in her mouth as if her run in with Hama had truly happened. Dream or not, the feelings and sensations were very real.

By the time midnight came around, she wanted to cry from frustration. Her fears weren't irrational–she knew they weren't–but being scared of a dream made her feel childish and weak all the same. She felt like a little kid afraid of the boogieman.

"You should get some rest," Zuko's voice broke the silence of the cabin, "We'll be arriving tomorrow. You'll need all your strength."

She knew that. "Don't you worry about my strength. I have plenty."

Zuko was silent for a few moments, then he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

She heard him roll over in his cot and could almost see his eyes peering at her through the darkness. "You're lying."

"What, are you Toph now?" she retorted snippily.

She heard him sigh and get up, and she tensed as she felt him plop down on the floor next to her bed. "Tell me what's going on," he said softly.

"I can't sleep," she stated the obvious.

"Why?" Zuko asked, uncharacteristically patiently.

Katara rolled over so that she was facing away from him. "It's stupid."

"Maybe. But if it's bothering you then it's important, stupid or not."

She felt a flutter of something warm and reassuring in her chest at his words. "It's these weird dreams I've been having," she admitted, "I'm scared of what will happen when I fall asleep." There, she said it. He could laugh if he wanted. She wouldn't blame him.

He didn't laugh. In fact, he didn't say anything at all. She turned back over to face him and dimly saw his golden eyes looking at her in the dark.

"I told you it was stupid," she defended, unsure how to interpret his stare.

"It's not," he said at last. "I've spent my share of time hiding from nightmares."

With a history like his, she had no doubt he had. "What did you do?" she asked.

"I stayed up all night training until I collapsed from exhaustion and my uncle dragged me back to my room."

Katara had to smile at that. "You know, I don't find that even the tiniest bit surprising, coming from you."

She thought she saw Zuko smile, but she couldn't be sure.

"I can't tell you how to solve your problem, but I can promise to wake you up if I notice anything," he offered.

The warm flutter was back. She found his head and gave his hair an affectionate ruffle. "Prince Zuko, always looking out for me."

She saw Zuko's eyes narrow, and then he was ruffling her hair right back. She tried to wiggle away, but he followed her easily.

"Hey, no fair! You can see better than me!" she protested, batting at his hand. She then countered by tugging him forward by his hair and then attacking his ribs with her fingers. He struggled against her, but she pushed his face into the mattress and continued her assault. Soon Zuko was writhing and making muffled noises that quickly turned into proper laughter as her fingers danced over his side.

She had never heard Zuko laugh before. _Really_ laugh.

Just like his smiles, his laughter was completely charming. She continued tickling him just to hear it. Finally, after several cries of "Katara!" and "Stop!" in between giggles, she finally relented and let him up.

He lifted his head off the bed, gasping for breath. "_That_ was unfair."

She grinned. "I didn't know you were ticklish," she teased.

"It's not exactly the kind of thing one shares with people. For obvious reasons."

"You know, Zuko, sometimes you're really cute," she said before she could stop herself. Her hand flew to her mouth and she mentally kicked herself for telling him something like that. You don't say that to boys. At least, not boys over the age of thirteen.

She could almost feel Zuko's scowl. "I'm not cute."

Well, she'd said it. She might as well roll with it. "You are," she insisted. "But that's not a _bad_ thing," she assured him, "It's very endearing, actually."

"Really."

"It is! It's one of the things I like about you," she said sincerely. "A lot of girls like that trait in boys."

"Please stop trying to make it better," he groaned.

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think I'll be able to sleep now, so stop having a pity party on my bed."

Zuko grumbled as he got up and made his way back to the other side of the tiny cabin. Katara listened to his soft footfalls with a lighter heart. She was glad she'd confided in him. He'd actually cheered her up a lot.

As she settled back down to sleep, she called over to him, "Hey, Zuko?"

"What?"

"You'll wake me up, right? If I'm having a nightmare?"

"Yes," he said, his voice softening.

Katara smiled and closed her eyes. Even if she couldn't stop the dreams, at least she knew Zuko would be there to pull her out.

oO0Oo

Zuko kept a watchful eye on Katara well after he knew she was already asleep. He was worried. It wasn't like her to get so worked up over something like a bad dream. Moreover, there was something unsettling about the way she had talked in her sleep the previous night. Katara usually slept silently. The most he'd ever heard from her was a grunt or a sigh. But last night, she'd been speaking clearly, as though she were having a conversation with someone who was right there in the room with them. A very troubling conversation. Then she'd starting thrashing around and clutching at her chest and hyperventilating, and just as he was reaching down to wake her she'd begun screaming bloody murder. He'd done the only thing he could think of and shoved a pillow over her face to muffle the sound so that nobody came barging in to investigate. It had taken many shakes and several calls of her name to wake her.

Something else troubled him too. Maybe it was nothing, but when she had told him about her dream the morning after her near-drowning at the lake, she had mentioned Aang being his great grandfather. Aang was in fact the reincarnation of his great grandfather, but he'd never told anyone that. There was no way Katara could've known.

He debated asking her about it in the morning, but who's to say she would even remember that dream? Then again, just now she'd said that she'd been having weird dream_s_; plural. Had that been one of these "weird dreams" too? And was what happened during her meditation before also one of them?

Was he reading too much into this? It wouldn't be the first time he'd blown things out of proportion and drawn connections that weren't there.

He continued to watch her slumber until he himself could no longer keep his eyes open and succumbed to sleep.

oO0Oo

Sorry guys, it was another shorter chapter. But hey, at least it's longer than the last one, right? *dodges rotten fruit*

With this chapter I've finally broken 100k words! Go me! To celebrate I will lie in my bed and bask in my short-lived feeling of accomplishment before I inevitably begin to feel guilty and start writing the next chapter.

As usual, a huge thank you to all of my reviewers. You guys are awesome sauce and I put you on all of my tacos.

Next chapter: To Nanguang! *fanfare*


	16. The Calm and the Storm

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Sixteen

The Calm and the Storm

This chapter is dedicated to **ShoeNinja** for being my 500th reviewer. (And also for being such a kickass lady. You go, Shoe!)

Katara awoke early the next morning after a thankfully dreamless, but very short sleep. If she were smart, she'd go back to bed, however her active mind was done resting and ignored the protests of her tired body.

She forced herself to get up and prepare for the day. They would be arriving in a few short hours, and she had to be ready. Her bustling roused Zuko, and he blearily watched her as she paced back and forth across the cabin. She could sense the question on his tongue, however he said nothing.

One more day. She had no doubt they'd make it to Nanguang by then. According to the innkeeper's map, Yon Rha's town was fairly close to the port where they would be docking. If they pushed on through the night, they should have no problems getting there before morning.

Katara sighed. Traveling without Appa was significantly slower and more draining than she was accustomed to. She wished she had Aang's bison whistle so she could call their furry friend for a lift. Although if she'd had a bison whistle, they would never have gotten into this mess in the first place.

"Katara..."

Something in Zuko's voice caused her to pause her pacing and look over at him. "What?"

She thought he was going to ask her what she was doing or tell her to stop, but instead he asked, "How much do you know about my family?"

She was surprised by the suddenness of the question. A quick glance at his face showed that he was bothered by something. "What do you mean?"

He observed her with a serious expression. "What do you know about my great grandfather?"

This question only confused her more. "Well, he was Fire Lord Sozin, wasn't he? What's there to say?"

"What about my other great grandfather? On my mom's side?"

Katara hadn't the foggiest where he was going with this. _Other great grandfather?_ "I don't think I've heard about him. Was he important, or something?"

Zuko's eyes lowered thoughtfully. "So you don't know, then."

"Know what?" Her eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Should I know him?"

He looked up at her again briefly and then averted his gaze. "No. ...it's nothing."

She frowned at his evasiveness. "You're keeping something from me."

He shook his head. "It's not important."

Katara's frown deepened. "If it wasn't important you wouldn't have said anything," she objected. "Please don't hide things from me, Zuko. I can't handle it right now."

Zuko tensed for a moment and then relaxed, his shoulders slumping defeatedly. "Remember when you said that I'd always struggled with doing the right thing?"

She nodded. How could she forget?

"Well you were right. I've always felt like good and evil were warring inside of me. And maybe... maybe that's because they are."

She gave him a look urging him to go on.

Zuko held up his hands in front of him and looked at them with a troubled expression on his face. "Just before the eclipse... I found out that Avatar Roku is my other great grandfather. My mom's grandfather."

Katara took a small step back in shock, and his statement just hung there for a long moment as she processed this new information about her enemy turned constant companion. "You're a direct descendent of Avatar Roku," she said finally.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"And Fire Lord Sozin," she continued. "Both of them." This was a…_shocking_ bit of information, to say the least. So, Zuko was the great grandson of the world's cruelest and most noble men. Okay.

It was a hard pill to swallow, to be sure, but when Katara thought about, she was forced to admit that it made sense. Zuko always had displayed an odd dichotomy of, for lack of better words, good and evil in his actions and professed beliefs. She'd always wondered how it was that he could be so concerned about honor while chasing a twelve year old boy across the globe in order to bind him up and ship him to his homicidal father. It could also explain why it was so hard for him to pick a side; why he hesitated when he was forced to decide between them and his sociopathic sister back in...

A thought occurred to her then. "Wait... wouldn't that means that Azula is too?"

Zuko blinked, looking slightly taken aback. "Uh, yeah. I guess."

Katara blurted out the first thing that crossed her mind. "She clearly got more Sozin genes than you."

Zuko regarded her for a moment with that odd, unreadable look on his face, then he threw his head back and laughed.

It didn't last very long, but it was only the second time Katara had ever heard him truly laugh, and she chalked that up as a major achievement.

"Why do you ask? About your family, I mean," she asked when he had finished.

Zuko's expression sobered up at her question, and Katara mentally smacked herself for asking. He leaned forward over his knees, and said, "Remember when we were camping at that lake, you had that ridiculous dream about the day I came to your tribe. You said that Sokka and I had an argument about Aang being my great grandfather, so I was just wondering if you somehow knew."

That was all? Katara chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "That was just a dream," she informed him lightly. "Believe me, nothing in that dream translated to reality." She thought of Dream Zuko's kiss and suppressed a blush. Really, it couldn't be further from reality.

"Are you sure?" he pressed, his expression still completely serious.

"Definitely," she assured him, chuckling again to ease his apparent worries.

Zuko's expression didn't change. "Have you had any other dreams like that?"

His persistence caused her sureness to falter somewhat. "Why are you so on about this?" she asked, her smile fading. "Do you think that dream actually meant something?"

"I don't know... maybe," he said, his brow scrunching up. "All I know is that there's something weird going on with you, and maybe a little with me too, and now you're having dreams and visions that are causing you to act strangely and know things about me that I've never told anyone.

"Just the one thing," she argued. "And I'm sure it was completely coincidental."

"But what if it wasn't?" he pressed. "When I was in Ba Sing Se with my uncle, I got sick and experienced really bizarre dreams. Uncle said it was some kind of metamorphosis. I think those dreams were significant, and I think maybe yours are too."

Katara thought back to her recent dreams. "There was one..." she started, "the first dream I had. It was the night after I sparred with you in the temple. I saw Yue, and she told me that I had somehow done the spirits a great service. She said that I had the chance to achieve a glorious destiny, and to not let it get away."

Zuko crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. "That sounds pretty significant to me."

Katara rubbed her arms self-consciously. "I have no idea what she meant, though."

Zuko raised a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "You can't think of anything you might've done that the spirits would be happy about? What about teaching the Avatar waterbending?"

"Well, Yue did say that they were pleased about that. But I think my 'great service' is something else. I mean, have you had any dreams about your fire god, or whoever, saying you've done a great service by teaching Aang firebending?"

He shook his head.

"I really can't think of what else I could've done that they'd be especially happy about, though," she confessed. "I've thought about it, but nothing comes to mind. I mean, I did have a spirit thank me once for helping a village that was suffering from a Fire Nation factory, but Aang does that sort of thing all the time and I haven't heard about any spirits visiting him in dreams. Well, not about that, anyway."

"She didn't give you any clues?"

Katara shook her head. "None." She paused then as she recalled her conversation with the late princess of the Northern Water Tribe. "She did say something about the wheels of fate, and that they were turning once again because of me...or something like that. That doesn't really help me, though."

"Fate...? Like, destiny?" It figured that Zuko would find a way to tie things back to destiny. That was his second favorite word after _honor_.

She shrugged.

"In any case," Zuko continued, "I think you should keep trying to figure out what she might've meant. Visits from spirits aren't the kind of thing you should take lightly. If there's one lesson my uncle left me with, it's that."

Katara shivered as she recalled Yue's last words to her, just before she nearly drowned in a lake. _You can be stronger._

_What do you want from me? _she asked wordlessly. She received no reply.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Lulu made an impatient ruffing noise as she and Ty Lee looked out over the deck of the ship. They had just received word that their boat would be making an unplanned stop at a nearby coastal port due to an emergency with one of the passengers, and Ty Lee had just finished writing a missive to Azula detailing the delay. She didn't want the princess to think she was holding back in her mission. Not with the lives of her new friends on the line as they were.<p>

Azula had requested progress reports be sent at routine intervals throughout her journey. The princess wanted to be kept fully up to date on her every move, and Ty Lee knew that if her friend had even the smallest suspicion of betrayal, she'd track her down like a blood-fox.

Despite the risk to her new friends' safety, she was glad for the delay. Every mile that the ship traveled, Ty Lee became more and more anxious. Each hour brought her closer to her targets. Closer to a confrontation that she dreaded more than any she had faced before in her life.

Lulu sniffed her concernedly with her big whiskery nose and then nudged her comfortingly.

"You're right, Lulu. Everything will turn out okay in the end," Ty Lee told the large beast next to her. "Somehow."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>After docking, Katara and Zuko set off immediately for Nanguang.<p>

Katara's dogged determination was more than a little worrying to Zuko. He could tell by looking at her that she hadn't slept much the night before, but when he suggested finding an inn at the port town, she'd been very much against the idea. According to her, it was important that they not waste any more time than necessary on this trip, as getting separated from the rest of the group had pushed back Aang's training too much already, but it was clear to him that her need for haste had very little to do with getting back to the others.

Zuko understood her desire for revenge, and he thought she should have it if that's what she needed, but her disregard for her own health was concerning to him. Not only was she refusing sleep, she was turning away food as well. She probably thought he didn't notice, however he had been watching her extra carefully since her little episode on the bluffs. Maybe a couple skipped meals wan't an issue just yet, but it would be if she continued the way she was.

As they trudged through the dense forest, it became clear that they were not, in fact, going to make it before morning. Unfortunately, their progress was slowed by fallen trees and thick undergrowth. If they'd taken the main road they could have beat a better pace, however Katara had wanted to take the most direct route possible, and that meant a midnight foray through the trees.

They stuck close to the sea, using the coastline as their guide. Despite it being the dead of night, the forest was filled with the sounds of chirping insects and their nocturnal predators. Zuko moved a bit closer to Katara and shifted his swords on his back so that they were better positioned for easy access, just in the off chance that any of those predators deemed the two of them more appetizing than bugs.

The further they traveled, the more agitated Katara seemed to become. Not in an angry or grumpy way, but her disposition was becoming more anxious and tense, and she was acting noticeably more fidgety. When they'd first entered the forest, she had marched forward as if nothing in the world mattered except reaching her goal. Now, her physical behavior was reminiscent of the first few days he'd spent at the temple with them; stiff and on guard. Every snapping twig and rusting bush had her on high alert.

Zuko reached out and put a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "I think we should find a place to stop and rest," he suggested.

Katara shook her head. "No, let's keep going. We're almost there."

"No, we're not," he said gently. "You're exhausted. What do you hope to do to Yon Rha in that state?"

Katara smacked his hand away. "Don't assume, Zuko. I'm fine. I've never felt more awake."

Zuko frowned at her stubbornness. "Katara–"

"I'm _fine_."

Switching tactics he tried, "Well, what about me? You might be able to go on all night, but I need rest."

It was only partially true. While Zuko was indeed a small bit weary, he could easily push on through the night. Katara seemed to realize this, because she gave him a hard, appraising look. To his surprise, her expression softened and she relented. "Alright."

They found a patch of firm ground along the beach, just outside the forest and its hungry animals, and Zuko fished his cloak out of his pack and laid it down for Katara to sleep on.

Katara looked down at the cloak and then up at him with a frown. "Zuko, you don't have to–"

"I wasn't going to use it anyway," he declared before she could say anything more. "It's too warm out for all that fabric."

Katara looked back at the cloak with a conflicted expression. "If you're sure..."

"I am," he stated firmly.

She reluctantly laid down, patting the cloak's surface for any lumps formed by stones or twigs before she lowered herself fully into her side. Zuko removed his tunic and rolled it into a ball before lying down beside her and shoving it under his head as a pillow. Normally he'd observe a more polite distance, but they'd slept together often in the past week, and it was safer to remain close.

Aside from the small noises from the forest nearby, the air was deathly still. Despite the calm, however, the atmosphere was charged. A storm was on its way. Zuko hoped they would be able to beat it to the town.

"Zuko?"

Zuko turned so that he was fully facing Katara. "Yes?"

"What made you finally decide to leave the palace and come find us?"

Zuko blinked. Where was this coming from now?

Katara's gaze was strangely intense as she watched him, waiting for his answer, and Zuko lowered his own gaze from hers as he answered, "I felt like I was going mad there." He didn't elaborate.

"How did you know you were doing the right thing?"

He turned onto his back so that he was looking up at the starry night sky and thought about her question. "Have you ever looked around yourself and thought that everything seemed wrong?" he asked, glancing back at her. "That's how I felt every day that I spent back at home with my father and Azula. I had everything I'd always wanted, but I wasn't happy at all. Making the decision to leave was the first time since before I joined Azula that I felt like I'd done something right. It was like a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders. All the guilt just kind of melted away."

"So, you think that as long as you don't feel guilty, you've done the right thing?"

Zuko was taken aback by her question. "Well, no," he admitted. "But I do think that feeling guilty is usually a pretty good indicator that you've done something wrong."

Katara lowered her eyes. "I see."

Zuko wasn't sure what she wanted to hear from him, but she didn't ask any more questions after that; just rolled over so that her back was to him and remained silent.

He watched her for a little while, observing the way her frame expanded and contracted with her breathing before closing his eyes and succumbing to sleep.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Ty Lee tossed and turned in her bed at the local inn. Zuko and the waterbender were close. In fact, she probably would've caught them already had she not decided to stop for the night. Just before purchasing a room, she had sent another missive to Azula notifying her of her arrival into port.<p>

Tomorrow, her hunt would be done. There was no way that Zuko and the water girl could outrun a shirshu. She would apprehend them and send word to Azula to come pick them up. Then they would be dragged back to the Caldera to face the combined wrath of the Fire Lord and his daughter. Zuko, as an unquestionable traitor, would likely be publicly executed for his crimes against the Fire Nation. The water girl, Katara, Ty Lee was pretty sure her name was, would either be locked away with the other prisoners or executed alongside Zuko for her role in personally aiding the Avatar. Of course, that was only if Azula didn't take care of the both of them on the spot when she arrived.

Ty Lee had never been particularly close with Zuko, but she had spent quite a bit of time with him growing up–funnily enough, she'd talked to him far more than Mai, who had had a crush on him even back then, the shy girl. They might not have been close, but that didn't mean Ty Lee didn't like him. She wasn't infatuated like Mai, but Zuko had been a constant in her childhood. He was always there, just like the turtleducks in the pond were always there, and even though she didn't play with him, she was happy to include him in her list of what was normal and expected on a day to day basis. When he was banished she'd been sad. When he came back, she'd been glad. She didn't want him to die. Especially not because of her.

She didn't want that, but tomorrow she was going to sign his death warrant. It was him and the waterbender, or the Kyoshi Warriors. She didn't have a choice.

_I'm sorry, Zuko, _she thought sadly.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>When Zuko woke, Katara was already up and about gathering driftwood for a campfire. Two fish lay gutted and speared with sticks on a nearby stone, waiting to be cooked, and Zuko took the liberty of igniting the wood already in a pile next to them. Katara noticed that he was awake and walked over to the fire with her armful of driftwood. She dumped the sticks on the flames and grabbed the fish, sticking them deep into the sand by the fire to cook.<p>

"Good morning," she greeted, looking at him over her shoulder as she tended the fish.

"Yeah," he acknowledged, looking up at the sky and noting that it was still somewhat dark. Looking back at Katara, he asked, "How did you sleep?"

Katara just shrugged.

Once the fish was cooked they sat down to eat, and Zuko was surprised when Katara handed both fish to him.

"What about you?" he asked, frowning.

"I already ate," she assured him. "I wasn't really in the mood for fish, and I still had an apple in my bag."

Zuko's frown deepened. "You need more than that. Here," he offered up one of the fish, "I'm not going eat both of these while you sit here and eat nothing."

"I told you I had an apple. I'm fine." She turned away from him and busied herself with repacking their bags.

Zuko wouldn't be deterred that easily. "Talk to me, Katara," he demanded, pegging her with a level stare. "I know you're upset about this..." he made a sweeping hand gesture for lack of words before continuing with "personal mission of yours. Believe me, I get that. This is something you need. Just, don't put all of your other needs to the side because of it."

Katara expression contorted into a grimace briefly but she quickly turned it back to neutral. "You just worry about yourself, Zuko. I can handle this."

With that, she slung his bag at him–which he only just managed to catch with the fish still in his hands–and doused the fire before shouldering her own bag and walking back into the forest.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara heard the town before she saw it. It sounded like there was some kind of commotion happening out on the streets. When they broke through the trees at the edge of the town–no, village, Katara corrected herself, upon seeing the small size of the place–it became apparent that the noise was due to venders either packing up their wares and leaving or setting up covers over their stands. One quick look at the darkening sky, and Katara knew the reason. The storm she'd sensed back on the boat was finally upon them.<p>

She shoved the weather from her mind and looked around at all the people milling about in the street. This was it. Somewhere in this village, her mother's murderer was lurking about, completely unaware that the little girl whose innocence he had destroyed so many years ago was here to deliver the vengeance she had been craving for so, so long. The vengeance she never thought she'd get an opportunity to see through.

Katara's eyes narrowed as she searched the face of each passerby. Every man, woman and child was the face of her enemy. However, none of them were the face she was looking for. Zuko laid a hand on her shoulder, and only then did she realize how tense she'd become. She took a deep breath to calm herself and her gut churned. She felt sick.

"Wait here," Zuko instructed. "I'll go ask about Yon Rha."

Katara just nodded, feeling like she was liable to throw up if she tried to speak.

Zuko walked over to one of the vendors and Katara watched him talk to the man. The vendor said something she couldn't hear and pointed down the street. Katara felt a drop on her arm. And then another. She looked up at the sky and saw that the dark clouds had amassed over the village. A fat drop landed on her cheek and rolled down the contour of her cheekbone as yet another splattered on her forehead.

"I've got his location," Zuko said, walking back over to her. "He lives in a solitary house a short ways outside of town."

Katara nodded and swallowed thickly. "Let's go."

The sick feeling increased the further they walked and the closer they came to the house Yon Rha was said to reside in. The rain continued to pick up, turning the already soft dirt road to mud and causing Katara's sandaled feet to make a squelching noise with every step. She wished she could change into her Water Tribe boots, but they would look too strange with her Fire Nation outfit. Not that anyone was out to see her, she thought, glancing around. This particular road looked like it didn't get much traffic on the best of days, and with this rain, just about the entire village had retreated indoors. That was fine with her. Fewer people around would make her mission that much easier.

Now that she knew where she was going, however, the question arose of what she was going to do when she got there. Simply knock on the door and wait for the man to answer? _Hi, my name is Katara. You killed my mother. _No, that wouldn't be nearly satisfying enough. She wouldn't give him the courtesy of letting him know she was coming. She would find a way to catch him off guard and strike when he was least prepared. She wanted to him to experience what it felt like to be frightened and helpless.

Through the downpour, a lone house came into view in the distance, and Katara would bet her mother's necklace that it was the place they were looking for. Lifting a hand to her chest to clutch at the hidden pendant, she steeled herself and marched determinedly toward the wooden structure... only to dart behind a jutting cliff along with Zuko when a shrill voice yelled, "Yoh Rha, you good for nothing boy! We're out of potatoes! Go to the market and buy some more!"

"But mother," a meek-sounding man's voice came from around back of the house, "the garden–"

"To Koh with your stinking garden!"

"Mother, please. It's pouring outside. And I just went to the market a few days ago..."

The voice faded as its owner apparently walked deeper into the house. There was silence for a few moments, in which Katara and Zuko waited silently behind the cliff, watching and listening for whatever, if anything, would happen next. Then a door opened on their side and an older-looking man stepped out, basket in hand.

Katara's heart sped up and she narrowed her eyes, observing the man as he walked down the muddy path toward her and Zuko's hiding place.

"Old bat. Go to the market yourself if you don't like what I grow," she heard him mutter as he came within range. Sidling further behind the cliff, Katara watched the man closely as he passed right by them. Her whole body tensed as she got a good look at his face. That was him. That was the monster.

Her thoughts must have shown in her expression, because Zuko whispered, "He's the one?"

She nodded distractedly, not taking her eyes off the man's back until he had fully disappeared into the gloom. Her brain had already worked out a plan for how to approach her target.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>They followed Yon Rha discreetly away from the house and back toward the village, staying in the grass to minimize the watery slapping of their feet on the mud. Not that Zuko needed to. His footfalls were as creepily silent as always. They stalked him all the way into the market, ducking behind abandoned stands to avoid being spotted. All the while, Katara watched and gathered supplies for her trap. When it looked like Yon Rha was getting ready to walk back to his house, she sent Zuko ahead to prepare.<p>

Katara continued to stalk her prey as he left the village, however her excitement made her clumsy and she was forced to duck out of sight several times as Yon Rha looked over his shoulder suspiciously. Zuko rejoined her several minutes later and gave her a wordless nod, confirming that the trap had been set.

Just as Yon Rha was approaching the designated spot, Katara took a bending stance and summoned water from a puddle at his feet to smack him in the back. Yon Rha dropped his basket and whirled around, falling into a firebending stance.

"Who's there?" he called, glancing around warily. "Show yourself!"

His gaze zoned in on a large tree and his eyes narrowed threateningly. "Nobody sneaks up on Yon Rha!" he announced, shooting a blast of fire at the tree, which, despite the heavy rain, burst into flames. Relaxing out of his stance, Yon Rha bent down and gathered the spilled produce back into his basket before continuing on with a conclusive "hmph."

He only made it a few steps before the tripwire Zuko had strung between two trees sent him tumbling to the ground. Not wasting a moment, Zuko aimed a blast of his own at Yon Rha's feet, causing the man to retract them with a shriek. Katara ran out from her hiding place and planted herself before her enemy, a furious glare on her face.

"Who– who are you?" Yon Rha demanded.

Katara's lips tightened and thinned. "You don't remember me?" she asked icily.

"You're going to," Zuko threatened, coming up beside her and pegging the man with a fearsome look; the sort of look Katara hadn't seen on his face in a long, long time.

Yon Rha recoiled from the chill of their combined glares. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I've never seen you before in my life," he declared, regathering his pride and glaring back at them boldly.

Katara made a "tch" noise and turned her head in disgust. "I've hated you–_loathed_ you–for six years, and you don't even remember me," she spat in a low voice. "It figures. After all the suffering you've caused, how could I expect you to remember one scared little Water Tribe peasant?"

"Water Tribe...?" Yon Rha's eyes widened. "Yes. Yes, of course! I remember you now. You're that little Water Tribe girl... The daughter of the last waterbender."

A flash of lightning lit the sky and the downpour over their heads intensified.

_Just let her go and I'll give you the information you want._

_You heard your mother. Get out of here!_

Katara clenched her teeth and closed her eyes as the memory replayed in her head.

_Mommy, I'm scared._

_Go find your dad, sweetie. I'll handle this._

She snapped her eyes open and locked gazes with the man at her feet. "She lied to you. She wasn't a waterbender at all. She was protecting the last waterbender."

Yon Rha looked like he'd been slapped in the face. "What? Who?"

"Me!" With a sweep of her arms, Katara stopped the rain around them. With a few fluid movements, she combined the droplets into massive ice spears and trained their deadly points on the man before her. Yon Rha's mouth gaped open and his arms shot up protectively in front of him.

"I'm sorry! I had orders!" he cried, shaking his head up at her in fear.

Katara saw red. "Orders? That's great! That makes everything better. My brother and father and I lost the person we cared about more than anyone else in the world, and I lived through the pain of not only losing my mother, but having to see her ruined corpse laid out on the floor of my home. I had to suffer though years of nightmares and horrible guilt, because if it weren't for **me**, she would still be alive! But now I see, it's all okay, because you had _orders_."

"Please, forgive me!" he pleaded, scooting backward through the mud. "I know! Take my mother. That would be fair, right?"

If Yon Rha said anything next, Katara didn't hear it. Her rage, which had been building rapidly as the man spoke, reached its breaking point. Her self restraint snapped. All she wanted now was to make this man pay with everything inside of her. She wanted to show him the full power of the race his people had stepped all over like so much trash in a gutter.

It was this burst of rage, combined with exhaustion and fatigue from lack of food and rest, that lead her to allow her mind's eye to slip to that first swirling point of energy at the base of her spine.

All at once, her mind was flooded with images. Just like the last time, the scenes she saw were terrifying and painful, but she held fast to her rage and pressed through.

_You heard your mother. Get out of here!_ she heard Yon Rha's voice in her head, and once again she was bombarded by visions.

Cold brown eyes._ It's __**your**__ fault. She was protecting __**you**__. _

An autumn canopy. _What would your fallen tribesmen think, if they could see you now?_

Her mother's sad face._ My poor baby girl. You've had to grow up all alone._

Her own bitter blue eyes._ The Fire Nation took my mother away from me. I will never forgive them._

Halting footsteps._ We're just too different. You and I were never meant to come together like this._

Katara felt her power mount until she thought she would burst, and then–

_Turn around and face me, Katara!_

Light exploded behind her eyes and energy crackled up her spine. Extending her arms out in front of her, Katara curled her fingers like Hama had so many weeks ago–the way she herself had mere days ago–and despite the lack of full moon and it being the middle of the day, Yon Rha's blood snapped–almost eagerly–to her control.

The man himself went suddenly rigid and his eyes bugged out of his head. "What- what is this?" His voice held a delightfully terrified-sounding tremor.

She raised her arms and the man was pulled roughly up until only his toes were left touching the ground, dangling uselessly in the mud. His eyes darted around wildly and his fingers twitched helplessly, and Katara drew a perverse kind of pleasure from watching him struggle in her invisible grip. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko take a step back with an expression of shock and confusion on his face, but she paid him no mind.

Shifting her gaze back to Yon Rha, she jerked her arms apart and his limbs followed, stretching out uncomfortably. "Give me one reason, Yon Rha," she declared in a dangerous voice. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't end your life right now. Think hard."

Yon Rha let out a few strangled noises and then his eyes found Zuko. "Help...me," he pleaded with the prince.

Zuko's eyes widened momentarily and he regarded the man for the briefest moment, then his eyes narrowed and became hard, and he pointedly turned his face away.

"Is that it?" Katara asked, unimpressed. "You can't think of even one reason why your life should be spared today?"

Yon Rha's expression become even more panicked and his struggles increased. "Please!" he cried. "I was just doing my job. It was nothing personal against your mother. If not I, then somebody else would have been sent–"

"We were no threat to you!" Katara screamed, her threadbare patience finally snapping. "We'd already lost everything! What could one waterbender have done in the face of your armies?"

"Every threat to the Fire Nation must be neutralized, regardless of–"

He didn't get to finish, because Zuko stepped forward suddenly, surprising them both, and cut him off. "If you had known it was her," he addressed the incapacitated firebender, clenching his hands into tight fists at his sides. "If you had known the last waterbender was just a child, would you have killed her?"

Katara turned her head to look at Zuko in confusion, but his eyes were fixed on the man in front of him.

Yon Rha looked startled at his interruption, but his eyes gained a defiant gleam as he stared back at the prince. "Every threat to the Fire Nation must be neutralized," he repeated, "regardless of how small."

Zuko's visible eye flashed and his expression turned icy. "You would murder children in the name of the Fire Nation?" he accused, his anger evident despite his calm tone. "Is that something taught in the soldier's academy, or do you simply have so little honor?"

"Zuko..." Katara began.

Yon Rha's face paled and he sucked in a breath as his wide eyes snapped to the bandage covering Zuko's left eye. Recognition lit on his face.

"Is that what the Fire Nation is founded on? The blood of children?!" Zuko pressed, his voice raising. "Is that what makes our nation great?"

Yon Rha trembled under Zuko's fierce glare, all defiance gone from his eyes. "You- you're–"

Zuko looked like he wanted to say more, but he pressed his eyes shut and turned his face down, the knuckles of his clenched fists entirely white. "Do what you want, Katara. This man's destiny is yours to decide."

"Your highness, please! Don't leave me to her!" Yon Rha suddenly cried out, straining against Katara's hold. "I'll do whatever you want! I'm not like the other soldiers, I've always been faithful to you, my prince. Surely you–"

Katara snorted derisively. She had never heard a more obvious lie. Judging by the way Zuko stiffened, he was just as unimpressed by the man's appeal.

"Disgusting," she muttered under her breath. Yon Rha apparently heard her, because he stopped straining toward Zuko and was now looking at her in fear. Out loud, she said, "I always wondered what kind of person could do such horrible things to another race, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty." Her voice shook as she spoke, her hurt showing through as her fury began to subside. She felt drained. She felt cheated.

With a sweep of Katara's arms, Yon Rha was sent tumbling into the mud, her grip on his blood relinquished.

"But as much as I hate you..." she paused as she turned away from the sniveling, shivering man on the ground, "I just can't do it."

Without looking back, she began to walk away, back toward the village she'd left mere minutes ago. Zuko hesitated behind her, sparing a final glance at the pitiful former captain still wallowing in the mud before he too turned his back on the man and followed after her.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara made it all the way back through the village and a fair way into the forest she and Zuko had emerged from just that morning before she allowed herself to break down. She stopped beneath the cover of an especially large, leafy tree and walked right up to the thick trunk. Only barely aware of her companion's worried gaze, she leaned her forehead against the rough bark and cried.<p>

Zuko said nothing, and Katara was grateful for his understanding as she let her sorrow and frustration make rivers down her cheeks. It wasn't fair. How could destiny play her such a foul hand, that the man, the _monster_, she'd dreamed of taking revenge on for so long would end up being such a pitiful, empty, washed-up coward. How could someone so worthless be allowed to take so much from her?

Katara lowered her eyes to her hands and her tears fell harder. What was fairness, anyway? What was retribution? In the end, he had only taken more from her. Because of him, she had done something she'd promised to never do again. She had given in to the monster Hama created inside of her and bent a man's blood. And she had done it not to protect her friends, or even out of self preservation, but for a notion as flimsy and egotistical as revenge.

The sick feeling from before returned, and Katara slid to her knees as she was consumed with the urge to heave. Her quiet whimpers turned to loud sobs as she choked back the bile rising up in her throat, and she clenched her eyes shut, pressing her face into the damp tree trunk. It was at this point that Zuko put his hands on her shoulders and gently tugged her away from the tree. She turned in his grip and fell against him, burying her face in his wet chest instead. In response, he carefully wrapped his arms around her, pulling her securely against him.

Zuko's hold was warm and reassuring and exactly what she needed. His steady heartbeat against her ear was comforting and served as an anchor to ground her scattered feelings. It held her together even as she came apart at the seams.

Katara didn't know how long they sat like that; her crying messily into his chest, and him holding her quietly. –Long enough for her to begin to feel silly for glomming onto him so pathetically. Eventually her sobs turned into long, shuddering breaths as she calmed down.

"Hey," Zuko said after a while. "Are you okay?"

_No_, Katara thought, but she nodded. She expected him to pull away after that, but he didn't. Maybe he could sense what she was really feeling. Maybe he knew everything.

"Okay," was his only response.

They were silent for a while longer before Katara opened her mouth and asked, "Did I do the right thing?"

Zuko didn't answer right away. He stayed silent for a long moment before finally saying, "That's up to you."

"Do you think I should've killed him?" she pressed.

Again, Zuko was silent for a long time, then he said, "Do you regret not doing it?"

"No." She closed her eyes. "And yes."

Zuko remained silent, and she continued. "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or because I'm strong enough not to."

"What do you think?" he prompted.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I just...didn't want to lose any more of myself to him. I didn't want to become a murderer because of him. He wasn't worth it."

Zuko's arms tightened around her. Just slightly. "Then that's fine," he assured her in a soft voice.

She nodded against his chest and then wrapped her own arms around his middle, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you, Zuko." _From the bottom of my heart. _

Zuko squeezed her back and then pulled away, letting his hands slide down her arms to grab her own before standing and tugging her up with him. "Come on. We should go before Yon Rha alerts the village that we're here."

Katara nodded and used her forearm to wipe the salty residue from her face.

Neither of them noticed the acrobat observing them silently from above.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>I am SO SORRY that this chapter took so long. I have no excuse for how tardy this is. It should've been done months and months ago. Instead, it sat around on my computer as a horrible, fragmented mess while I put it off for other things. I blame the drama. I'm terrible at writing drama.<p>

This chapter was especially hard to write, and I know it's not completely up to par with many of my other chapters, so please tell me if there's anything that you think needs to be improved. I read and value every review I receive, so don't be shy about telling me what you think. If you have a FFnet account, don't forget to log in so that I can reply. There were a lot of great reviews for the last chapter that I really wanted to answer but couldn't because they were written anonymously. Let me love you!

So this was a bit different than Zuko and Katara's confrontation with Yon Rha in canon. I hope I still managed to keep it realistic enough. Part of the difference is due to the fact that the timeline here is slightly off from the canon. You'll recall that the full moon, which in the show is the night before they confront Yon Rha, happened several days back in here, while our duo was on the ship to Fire Fountain City. The other differences stem from the fact that Katara's emotional state is a bit different heading into this encounter than it was in the show, as is her relationship with Zuko. You'll notice that the idea of forgiveness was not in the forefront here, or really addressed at all, as Aang was not around to offer his Air Nomad wisdom. Also, I'm sorry, but this adventure did not include any spiffy black outfits. As much as I love Zuko and Katara's ninja suits, I couldn't find a way to adequately fit them in. However, this also made it easier for Zuko to be recognized by Yon Rha, which also changed things a bit.

With this chapter we've begun to wrap up Part 2 and will be proceeding to Part 3 of this story. Get ready, because Part 3 is going to be very...er...unexpected. But it will also be a lot of fun. ;)

Next Chapter: Panic at the pier! Rainy with a chance of plot twists.

Also, just as a reminder to everyone, if it seems like I'm taking a while to update, check my profile. I sometimes leave status updates in there. I wasn't very good about that this last time, but I'll try to do better in the future.


	17. Caught Out

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

**Part Three**

Chapter Seventeen

Caught Out

When Ty Lee was five years old, she'd been introduced to the second-born child of Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa. Her father and mother had been at the palace "on business" and they'd left her with the princess for the day, no doubt thinking a bond between her and the young royal would prove beneficial to their own careers in Fire Nation politics. Ty Lee, too, had been excited. Not at the prospect of her family's elevation of status, but because this was her chance to make a friend all her own. A friend she didn't have to share with her sisters.

She still remembered her first meeting with Azula. The little princess had been led up to her with a gentle hand on her shoulder by her mother, alongside her older brother, Prince Zuko. Ty Lee recalled how Azula had looked uncertain at their meeting and had raised her tiny hand to grasp her bother's as they approached. Ty Lee remembered this, because it was one of the few times in her history with the Fire Nation royal that she'd seen Azula look to anyone else for support. It was a rare memory of a time when Princess Azula very much loved her brother.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>As he and Katara walked through the forest, Zuko couldn't shake the feeling that something was...off. He couldn't explain it, but he thought that if he were a hyena-dog, his hackles would be rising. It didn't help that the downpour from that morning had yet to let up—if anything, the skies only continued to look increasingly ominous—and the sound of the rain muffled the other sounds around them, putting him even more on edge.<p>

Beside him, Katara was noticeably slowing down. He guessed fatigue was finally catching up with her. She had just gone through a huge emotional ordeal, and honestly Zuko wasn't completely convinced that she'd slept at all the night before. The sooner they made it back to the port town, the better. There was safety in numbers—even if those numbers would be after their heads if they knew who the two of them were. Unfortunately, they were still a long way from the town, and Zuko's anxiety only continued to mount the further they walked.

It was nearing mid afternoon when he heard it: a low growl from the dense foliage to their left. Not stopping to think, he grabbed Katara's hand and burst into a sprint. Katara let out a startled noise and stumbled a bit before quickly catching on and running behind him as he all but dragged her past countless trees and bushes.

"What was that?" she asked as they ran, a note of fear in her voice.

"I don't know," he answered, breathing hard, "but whatever it is, it's been stalking us for a while."

Another growl echoed around them and Zuko squeezed Katara's hand harder as he bolted over the thick undergrowth. To his dismay, a tall cliffside appeared before them, blocking their way. Thinking fast, he switched directions and ran parallel to the imposing wall of mud and rock, hoping that a new path would open up. He could hear the sound of the beast's footfalls behind them now, and when a third growl came, it was directly beside them. Katara shrieked, and Zuko turned his head in time to see another wall of rock rushing up to meet them. He skidded to a halt, his feet slipping through the slick mud below them and splattering it up the front of his boots. Katara slid as well, and he just barely managed to catch her before she went barreling into the cliffside. That was one crisis averted, however, now they were cornered; trapped between a snarling beast and a solid wall of rock.

Beside him, Katara sunk into a bending stance and he followed suit. The familiar pose helped to clear his head. What was he thinking? What was one forest monster against two seasoned benders? They had nothing to be afraid of.

They held their poses as the growling grew louder, and then, out of the trees emerged...

"A shirshu?" he uttered, confused by the sight of the giant, pink-nosed animal stepping menacingly toward them.

He barely had time to be amazed when suddenly he was being jabbed in rapid succession all over his body. He heard Katara gasp, and then he was falling to the ground, completely paralyzed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katara's feet stumble in the mud and a heartbeat later she was on her side next to him.

Zuko struggled as hard as he could, but he already knew it was useless. He was all too familiar with the technique that had crippled them. But how? He only knew of one person who fought like this, and she no longer had any reason to hunt him. Besides, Azula would've had her safely locked away after her betrayal, wouldn't she?

"Ty Lee?" he called out, just to be sure.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," their assailant responded, confirming Zuko's suspicions, although her voice lacked its usual cheer.

"You!" Katara exclaimed, and Zuko saw her craning her neck in the direction of the acrobat.

Zuko felt hands on his arm and waist, and then he was being rolled over and Ty Lee's face came into view above him. This didn't make any sense. Why was she here? How had she found them? "Why, Ty Lee?" he demanded, glaring up at her. "Aren't you a traitor now, too?"

Ty Lee's face crumpled, and Zuko was momentarily surprised to see her with such a despondent look on her face. "It's because I'm a traitor that I'm here," she confessed.

"I don't understand." Zuko cast his gaze around him as far as he could, but he saw no sign of Azula. Was Ty Lee alone?

Ty Lee turned her gaze away sadly, and then she was gone from his field of vision. A moment later, he felt his wrists being bound behind him. A noise of protest from Katara informed him that she'd been given the same treatment.

"I'm really sorry," Ty Lee apologized again as she hoisted Katara up and onto the saddle that Zuko had previously failed to notice adorned the shirshu's back.

"If you're sorry then let us go!" Katara bit back, however her demand went predictably unfulfilled.

"What's going to happen to us?" Zuko asked as he too was pushed up onto the saddle. Ty Lee had a surprising amount of strength for someone so slight. "Is Azula here too?"

"She will be soon," Ty Lee answered, lifting herself onto the creature's back in front of them. "I'm going to send her a message when we get to the harbor." With that, she snapped the reins with a sharp, wet noise and the shirshu took off through the rain.

Zuko felt his chest seize up. No! No no no! He clenched his teeth and strained to look at Ty Lee, but even his neck seemed to be paralyzed. He couldn't move at all.

He couldn't do anything. The thought sunk like a stone in his stomach.

This was it, then, he realized. They'd failed. The moment Azula got that message, she would be on them like a wolf-shark to blood in the water. With the imperial air fleet at her disposal, she could be at the island in a matter of hours. Moreover, Ty Lee's paralyzation technique made escape one hundred percent impossible.

_No,_ he chastised himself, glaring at the only thing he could see: Katara's mud-splattered back. _Not yet. Not like this._ He gritted his teeth again and urged his body to move. If he could just regain his movement, he could find a way to get them free. He strained his body, willing his muscles to just _move already_, but no matter how hard he tried, it became apparent that determination alone wasn't going to help him this time.

_Damn it__!_ he swore in his head, and he felt the cold grasp of despair begin to close around his heart. _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!_ This wasn't happening. No way could they be taken down so easily. Not after everything they'd been through. Curse Ty Lee and her stupid chi-blocking!

Zuko's fury melted away as the familiar feeling of self-loathing rose up to take its place. This was all his fault. He knew they were being followed. He should have been more careful. He should've known that it was only a matter of time before Azula found out that she'd been duped back at the temple. Azula _always_ found out.

He was brought out of his mental beratement when Katara chose suddenly to speak up. "What's going to happen when Azula gets ahold of us?" she repeated his question from earlier.

There was a long pause while they both waited, but Ty Lee didn't answer.

"Is she going to kill us?" Katara's voice was soft; almost resigned sounding. It lacked the fight from before. But that couldn't be right, Zuko told himself. Katara would never give up.

He heard a muffled choking noise from Ty Lee. There was another long pause, during which the shirshu ran through a large puddle and muddy water was splashed up onto Zuko's face, then Ty Lee's voice came, small and full of guilt. "I'm really, really sorry."

Everyone was quiet after that. Ty Lee didn't say anything else, and Katara didn't ask any more questions. They rode on, the weight of that _sorry_ hanging heavily over them; it's finality ringing long after the word itself was lost to the wind. Zuko wanted to scream in frustration, but he knew better than anyone that throwing a tantrum solved nothing. _This can't be it,_ he thought to himself. After everything they'd been through; escaping Azula, Katara's near fatal episode at the lake, sneaking aboard an enemy ship, teaching Katara to fight, confronting the man who killed her mother, sparring together, sleeping together, learning to trust one another... learning to _accept_ one another...

But maybe it was.

Looking at Katara's limp form in front of him, Zuko was suddenly reminded of the silent promise he'd made to her on that terrible night the two of them had spent on the Western Raiders' ship. _That's right_, he thought, _I promised to make the world right again. For Katara._

Shutting his eyes briefly, he sent her a mental apology. _Sorry._ _It looks like I might not be able to keep my promise_.

Opening his eyes again, he continued to gaze at Katara's back as it was bumped and jarred by the shirshu's bounding gait. As if prompted by his thoughts, Katara chose that moment to call to him softy.

"Zuko."

"Yeah?" he answered, wishing he could speak to her face and not her back.

"I'm sorry."

Zuko didn't like the quality of her voice as she uttered those words; so weary and resigned and un-Katara-like "What for?"

"I just am," was her reply.

Another long moment of silence passed, and then she spoke again.

"Remember when I was running from Aang during that game of hide and seek and I nearly got caught when I couldn't climb those roots, but then you pulled me up?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he answered, recalling the incident. He had been caught off guard when she'd attempted to hide in the same place as him. He still remembered the adrenaline in his system when he'd made the decision to help her.

"I just thought you should know...that I thought you were pretty cool," she admitted, just as softly.

Zuko blinked, bewildered by her confession. "...You did?" He hadn't though that she'd held anything but contempt for him back then.

"Yeah."

Zuko's heart swelled. "Well, I thought you were really ridiculous," he returned, a small measure of good-humor returning to him despite the bleakness of their situation.

"Excuse me?" Katara responded, sounding affronted, and Zuko could imagine the scowl on her face.

"Yeah. I kept wondering why you didn't just bend the water off the roots."

Another long pause told Zuko that Katara was kicking herself mentally. The thought made him smile just slightly.

Again, several minutes passed before either of them said anything. Then;

"I don't want to die," Katara confessed quietly.

Zuko's heart dropped back into his stomach at her timid yet barefaced admittance. He wished he could reach out to her and lay a comforting hand on her back; brush her hair behind her ear; anything. But he could no more comfort her physically than he could verbally.

"Me too," was all he could offer.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Lightning arced across the darkened sky, forcing Suki to cover her eyes while Appa let out a loud groan. Not that closing her eyes was effectively different from having them open, as the heavy torrents of water being violently whipped around by the wind made it nearly impossible to see anything more than a foot away. Appa groaned again as he was buffeted by a strong gust, and Suki lurched in the saddle.<p>

"Sokka, we need to land!" she called over the squall. "There's no way we're going to be able to spot them in this storm!"

For a moment she thought her words had been swallowed by the pounding rain, but then she heard Sokka's voice respond, "No! We're almost there! We can't stop now!"

"I think I see land!" Haru called, and Suki could vaguely make out his form pointing somewhere over the saddle. "Do you think it's our island?"

"It has to be!" she called back, excitement building in her chest. "There aren't any other islands south of the mainland!"

"Sokka, can you take us lower?" Haru called to the other male. "I've got an idea!"

Another flash of lightning lit the sky, and then Appa was descending. Suki gripped the side of the saddle tightly as the great beast dove, flinching as her sopping hair whipped against her face. After a few seconds, the sensation of diving abruptly stopped and she heard Haru grunt with effort as his body leaned over the saddle. A beat later, a wall of earth rose partway around them, shielding them from the majority of the storm.

"Nice thinking, Haru!" Sokka praised, taking them up again.

"Thanks," he responded. "Just hurry and find Katara and Zuko. I don't know how long I can hold this."

"Sure. But where are we even supposed to begin?" Suki reasoned. "They could be anywhere. And this island isn't exactly small."

"That innkeeper said they were headed to Nanguang, right?" Sokka reminded them. "So we'll start there."

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>The darkened sky and heavy rainfall made it hard to determine just what time of day it was, but Zuko approximated that it was late afternoon when the shirshu came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the forest. He grunted as he and Katara were jarred on the creature's back.<p>

"What's going on?" he questioned, looking around as best he could with a paralyzed neck. They were clearly still a ways from the port town, and Zuko couldn't see any immediately apparent reason for their sudden stop.

"I can't," Ty Lee uttered, her voice choked.

"Can't what?" Katara followed, a note of irritation in her voice.

Ty Lee dropped the reins and looked back at them. Her eyes clearly showed her inner turmoil. "I can't do this."

Zuko perked up. Could it be...? Was Ty lee...having second thoughts about capturing them?

"Then don't," Katara said frankly, tossing her head slightly. Apparently she could move her neck, at least.

"You don't understand," Ty Lee appealed to her. "If I don't deliver the two of you to Azula, my friends will be in danger!"

"Your friends?" Zuko questioned, concern mounting in his chest. "You don't mean...Mai...?

Ty Lee shook her head. "No, not Mai," she said, and Zuko breathed a small sigh of relief. "The Kyoshi Warriors."

"The Kyoshi Warriors?" Katara repeated, sounding taken aback and also a tad skeptical.

"Yes," Ty Lee confirmed. "We...bonded. In prison. They taught me all kinds of cool moves and even gave me an honorary Kyoshi badge." She fished around in her pink top and pulled out a small golden badge shaped like a fan. "See?" she said, holding it out for them to see.

The rigid line of Katara's back told Zuko that the waterbender was still skeptical, but she said nothing.

"So that's why you agreed to help Azula," he spoke up. "She's keeping your friends as hostages."

Ty Lee nodded glumly. "That's why... I _want_ to let you go. I really do. But I can't."

So that was the situation, Zuko thought. _There must be some way out of this. There has to be something we can do_. He wracked his brain for any way that they could go free without the Kyoshi Warriors being in danger. He was sure that if he could offer up a reasonable solution, Ty Lee would go for it. She was already conflicted as it was.

"How about this," he said at long last. "Give us a fighting chance."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused.

"Keep us tied up, but remove our paralysis. Make it so that we can escape after she gets a hold of us," he explained. "We'll pretend to that the paralysis just wore off and escape in such a way that you won't be blamed for it." He looked at Ty Lee with determination in his eyes, hoping she would accept his plan. It was risky. He was well aware of that. If it didn't work, they'd all be in a lot of trouble. But it was the only chance they had.

Ty Lee looked uncertain. "Do you really think it will work?"

Zuko put as much confidence as he could muster into his gaze and said firmly. "It will. I'll make sure of it."

Ty Lee visibly deliberated for several moments, then her expression grew determined and she slid off the shirshu's back. A second later, Zuko felt a series of swift jabs to his pressure points, and suddenly he could move again. To his immense surprise, he felt the ropes binding his wrists and ankles come loose and fall away, freeing his appendages. "What are you doing?" he asked, confused, as she set to work on Katara.

"Riding will be more comfortable with your arms and legs free, right?" Ty Lee responded. "I'll retie the ropes once we get there."

The amount of faith Ty Lee was putting into them bewildered him. But it also made him feel oddly happy. It felt like gaining a friend. It was something he still wasn't used to, but it was pleasant and warm and oh so refreshing.

In front of him, Katara sat up and rubbed her neck. Then she turned to Ty Lee and Zuko saw her gaze soften. "Thank you, Ty Lee," she said, and Zuko could tell her gratitude was honest. Ty Lee smiled widely and nodded.

They repositioned themselves in the saddle so that they were sitting properly and not laying haphazardly over the beast's back, and then Ty Lee hopped up in front of them and shook the reins, spurring the shirshu into action. As they rode, Katara actually made pleasant conversation with Ty Lee, discussing the Warriors and trading combat tips. Zuko listened to them passively, simply reveling in the fact that they had somehow managed to dig themselves out of a seemingly hopeless situation. Not that they were in the clear yet, but a fighting chance was all the miracle Zuko needed to hold out hope that they'd make it out of this. If they could catch Azula off guard, he would make a chance for them to escape. He was done losing to Azula.

Apparently he had been too quiet in his musings, because Katara and Ty Lee's conversion had shifted form battle forms to moon cycles, and Zuko flusteredly reminded them that he was still there, thank you very much. "We know," was their response as they looked back at him cheekily.

In the next hour, Zuko was involuntarily made privvy to all sorts of very interesting but entirely unwanted bits of information about the female reproductive system that he planned to thoroughly purge from his brain the moment this ordeal was over. Perhaps he could appeal to Azula to shoot one of her lightning bolts into his brain. He was sure she wouldn't mind.

By the time they made it out of the forest, the sky was so dark that they had to rely on the small pinpoints of lantern light barely shining through the heavy rain to find their way through the town. The ground was so soft from the rain that the shirshu's paws sunk into the muck with every step, and the animal paused every few moments to shake mud from its feet.

They made it to the harbor and stopped, looking out over the dark, churning water. "I can't send a message in this weather," Ty Lee said after a few moments, sheltering her eyes from the water. "No hawk will fly in this. We're going to have to spend the night."

"Oh, did you need a room?" A voice came from behind them. "It's your lucky day. I just so happen to have a couple of rooms on my ship with your names on them."

Ty Lee and Katara both froze and Zuko's blood turned cold in his veins. That voice...

Ty Lee whipped the shirshu around. Before them stood a large group of imperial firebenders, and at their head, Azula sat mounted atop a great eel-hound, a wicked smile on her face.

"Hello traitors," she greeted. "And water peasant," she added, cocking her head towards Katara.

"Azula!" Ty Lee gasped, a look of terror creeping over her face. "What are you doing here?"

Azula pretended to look at her nails and glanced up at them offhandedly. "Oh, you know how I am. I always like to be a little early to parties. Not that I don't _trust_ you, or anything," she said, her voice becoming dangerous.

Ty Lee shook her head slowly, her eyes showing her panic. "Azula, wait–"

"Seize them!" the fire princess barked to her guards.

Ty Lee immediately attempted to spur the shirshu into a run, but a blast of fire exploded in front of them, causing the beast to rear up in fright, tossing them from its back. Zuko landed painfully and grunted as he struggled to his feet in the mud. Another blast of fire lit the area around them, and he saw Katara still on the ground, breathing hard. For the first time, he noticed the extent of the dark bags under her eyes as they were screwed shut in pain.

_She's exhausted,_ he realized, rushing to her side and hauling her up by the armpits. A soldier made a lunge for them, but he tucked Katara under his arm and rolled out of the way. Mud splattered in his eyes, and he was momentarily blinded as he rubbed his face with his sleeve. Nearby, he heard the shouts of soldiers and the sound of Ty Lee's voice as she attempted to calm her shirshu.

Zuko regained his vision just in time to dodge a fire blast aimed at his head. The flames sizzled in the rain and steam billowed up around him. He gripped Katara tighter and began running in a random direction, trying to escape the cloud. "Katara, can you bend?" he called down to the girl being half dragged alongside him. Katara never got a chance to answer, as azure flames burst to life around them.

"And where do you think, you're going, brother?" Azula's cold voice spoke to his left.

Zuko bit back a curse and turned to face his sister, shielding Katara with his body.

"A valiant effort, but I'm afraid your rebellion ends here," she said, and she began rotating her arms in a distinct pattern that Zuko would recognize anywhere.

"Katara! Run!" he cried, shoving his companion away. "She's going to shoot lightning!"

Katara stumbled and looked back at him in shock. "Zuko–!"

"Too late!" Azula screeched wickedly, aiming two fingers at them as energy crackled around her.

"Oh no you don't!" a new voice called. A long black cord-like shape twisted around Azula's wrist, and her arm was yanked into the air, causing her lightning to discharge harmlessly into the atmosphere.

Zuko and Katara looked past the confused princess and gaped at the figure behind her.

"Jun!" Zuko exclaimed, hardly believing his eyes.

Azula's expression turned murderous, and quick as her lightning, she aimed a fireblast at the woman behind her. Jun ducked out of the way with an awed whistle. "Friend of yours?" she asked him, nodding at the enraged princess.

"Sister," he corrected, smiling gratefully at the older woman.

Jun nodded thoughtfully. "I can't say that I understand the situation, but you're in danger right?" she asked motioning at the two of them.

"How'd you guess?" he called back dryly.

Jun returned his sass with a smirk and then her expression turned serious. "There are some steam-powered patrol boats docked at the harbor just ahead. You should use those to get away."

"What about you?" Zuko objected, frowning at her.

"Don't worry about me," she barked back. "Just go!"

Zuko nodded and grabbed Katara's hand, pulling her along as he made a break for the harbor.

"I won't let you escape!" Azula shrieked, sending a blast of fire after them. Zuko blocked her flames with a wave of his own and once again a large cloud of steam filled the area. He continued to run, using the lights from the harbor to guide him. Not far behind them he heard the swift footsteps of his sister as she gave chase. As he burst through the cloud, he saw the jet boats in a neat line at the dock and he made a beeline for them, jumping onto the closest one and pulling Katara on behind him. He had never piloted a jet boat before, but he knew the basics of how they worked. He laid his palm over the ignition apparatus and gave the thing a quick blast with his firebending. The ignition caught and the boat hummed to life. He gave it another burst and the boat jerked forward. A fraction of a second later, the propellors kicked into high gear, sending the boat rocketing away from the dock.

Katara wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him as the boat sped over the choppy, storm-churned waves. Raindrops pelted their faces, stinging their skin and making it even harder to see in front of them. Without direction, Zuko allowed the boat to lead them out into deeper water. The rushing of wind past his ears made it impossible to hear if Azula was still following them or not, but Zuko knew she was.

His belief was validated when a burst of blue fire blew past them on the right, forcing him to veer to the left. Another shot passed them, and then a third, which he only barely managed to avoid by swerving in random directions. He gave the engine another boost, but unfortunately they were already traveling at max speed.

If they couldn't go any faster, then Zuko would just have to settle for continuing to turn unpredictably in order to make them a harder target. That's exactly what he did, swerving left and right as arcs of flame traveled past them.

He had just turned his head to see where Azula was when Katara cried out in panic. "Zuko! Look out!"

Zuko snapped his head back to face forward and was confronted with an enormous wall of water directly in front of them. His uncovered eye widened. "Katara! You have to bend it away! I can't dodge that!"

One of Katara's hands left his middle and she raised it into a bending position. Zuko waited for the wave to be dissipated or parted or whatever Katara had in mind, but when it just continued to surge toward them he became confused. "Katara!" he cried as it towered over their heads, preparing to break.

"I- I can't!" Katara's voice reached his ears and she sounded more terrified than he had ever heard her. "I can't bend it!"

Zuko took his eyes off the wave to look at her. Her expression showed a perfect mix of shock, disbelief, and absolute horror. Her eyes were wide and panicked and her outstretched hand was shaking, still in position to bend the wave.

In the split second before the wave broke, Zuko did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Katara close and dove into the sea, right as several tons of water crashed down over their heads.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Soooooo. It's been...a while. *glances around shiftily* Erm, how have you been?<p>

This is the part where I'd normally say sorry for making you all wait because I'm a gigantic butt hole, but there's really no apology I could give that would suffice.

So how about excuses instead! *thumbs up* I'm proud to announce that I am now living in Japan. Woo! I arrived at the beginning of August and have been busy getting set up in my new place. Honestly I haven't been able to concentrate on much of anything writing related due to the excitement of moving, and so my muse kind of pooped out for a while like the turd it is. But apparently it's decided to return, so yay for that!

I am deeply grateful to all the readers who supported me during this crappy, unannounced hiatus. You guys rock.

Once again, this chapter gave me more trouble than it really should've, but I finally managed to get everything sorted and now we're back on track. I've actually already written part of the next chapter, as it's something I've been planning and anticipating for a long time. I'm really excited to finally be moving on to this next part. I think it'll be a lot of fun.

To **Darcy**: Congrats on being my 700th reviewer! Nice message. ;P

I can always count on you to keep me on track.

To all my anonymous reviewers, get an account you lazy bums! I wanna be able to reply to you!

Next chapter: Whatever you're expecting, you're wrong. Oh, and listen to your elders. Gran-Gran always said to bring a parka. She was right, you know.


	18. The Spirit Plane

**The Confrontational Approach**

By Advocaat

Chapter Eighteen

The Spirit Plane

Bright light and intense heat. That's all he remembered.

Now, all that surrounded Zuko was darkness and biting, bitter cold.

He hugged Katara closer as he trudged through knee-deep snow, sheltering her from the howling gale with his body. He didn't know how far he'd walked, or even where he was going—he didn't have the energy to waste worrying about such things—all he knew was that Katara needed help and he wasn't going to find it by staying in this frigid tundra.

He knew he should be thinking about how he got here and why he couldn't remember anything after jumping into the sea, but that and the million other questions he probably ought to be asking himself were locked away with the memory of blazing eyes and wordless whispers inside his head.

He glanced down at his burden and sucked in a breath when he saw the blue creeping into her lips. Quickly, he shifted her in his arms, and with numb fingers, pulled her travel bag around and brought out her Water Tribe tunic. It wasn't much, but he'd take anything he could get to keep her warm. He carefully slid her arms through the short sleeves and wound the white belt around her middle to keep it in place. Then he fished his crimson cloak out of his own bag and, rearranging her again so that he could move more easily, threw it around the both of them in order to help conserve heat.

Katara slept on, not stirring even once through the process, and Zuko's anxiety continued to mount. Why hadn't she woken up yet?

Blearily, he looked at the surrounding area, trying to memorize landmarks so that he wouldn't get all mixed up and end up heading back the way he'd come. The last thing he needed was to wind up traveling in circles through a blizzard.

Not that he could travel much longer. Even firebenders could only last so long in the snow, as he'd found back at the North Pole when he'd tried to carry Aang off through a similar blizzard. And back then he'd been dressed for the occasion. Now, dressed only in his light Fire Nation summer-ware, the only thing keeping him from freezing to death was his bending.

He needed to find shelter. Somewhere he could rest for a while and regain his strength. He cast his gaze around again, but the surrounding area was completely devoid of anything tall enough to offer any measure of relief from the icy wind.

His foot hit a patch of hard-packed snow, and unable to find the strength to correct his balance, he pitched forward, falling onto the soft layer of powder on top. He rolled onto his back in an effort to keep Katara's body out of the snow as much as possible, but he was unable to muster the energy to get back up again. Instead, he lay back and closed his eyes and just focused on breathing. He knew it was dangerous to stop moving, but he shoved that along with all other concerns from his mind.

He allowed his thoughts to wander, letting his mind take him to warmer places. He thought of fire and sand and warm blankets and hot food. "I'll take that roast duck now, Uncle," he murmured. Now that he thought about it, when was the last time he'd eaten? He couldn't remember.

He opened his eyes and saw that snow was beginning to pile up on Katara's body. With a grunt of effort, he managed to hoist himself up and brush the snow from her back before lifting her into his arms again. He stumbled a bit, but was able to stabilize himself by closing his eyes and patiently waiting for the world to stop spinning.

That's when he smelled it.

_Smoke?_ he thought, sniffing the air, but the direction of the wind changed, taking the smell with it. Zuko stood still and waited for the smell to come again, and a moment later it did. He wan't mistaken. He definitely smelled smoke on the air.

With new determination, he began walking again in the direction of the smell. Smoke meant fire, and in a frozen wasteland, fire could only mean people.

_Just a little more, Katara,_ he thought as he trudged on, hugging her just a bit closer.

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>"Hey, Korok! I think I see something out there."<p>

"Probably just a an antarctic wolf-hound. No other animal is dumb enough to go out in this weather."

"That doesn't look like any wolf-hound I've ever seen."

Korok looked out over the edge of the wall to where his buddy was pointing and saw a dark figure approaching through the snow. It was hard to see it well in the twilight, but it was clearly no wolf.

"I think it's a person," his friend said, squinting into the darkness.

"That's impossible. Who in their right mind would be out now?"

The figure continued to draw closer, and Korok's eyes widened as he became able to make out the color of the person's clothing.

"Fire Nation!" he cried, pointing his spear down at the approaching figure.

"Fire Nation? But why...?"

Korok shoved his friend toward the ladder leading down from the wall. "I'll take care of him! Go warn the elder. There could be more on the way."

The other man nodded and hurried down the ladder, leaving Korok alone to deal with the threat. Korok cast aside his spear and picked up a bow, deftly nocking an arrow and aiming it down at the figure below. "I'll teach you to mess with the Water Tribes!" he hissed, and let the arrow fly.

The projectile sung through the air on a direct path toward the target below. Korok's shot hit its mark and the figure stumbled and crumpled to the ground. The warrior quickly scaled the wall and ran toward the person just as the main gate opened and several other warriors rushed out to join him.

Korok reached the body first, approaching warily until he saw the dark stain creeping across the snow beneath them. Deciding the person no longer posed a threat, he rushed up and knelt beside them. The person was definitely male, and his body was shrouded in a long cloak the same color as the blood still seeping from his wound.

Korok was about to roll the body over when a hand shot out and grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip. He looked quickly at the man's face and saw a single golden eye glaring at him from behind matted black bangs. The eye traveled from his face to his clothes, and then the hostility in it faded and he let out a sigh of relief. "_Please_," he said, his voice weak and barely audible. "_Help her. Please_." Then he lifted his arm and the cloak fell away, revealing a second figure clad in blue.

Korok stumbled back and swiftly pivoted around to address the other warriors. "Get the elder! Quickly!"

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Katara curled in on herself, trying to conserve body heat. She was so cold.<p>

"Hey," a voice called somewhere nearby. "You awake?"

Groggily, she opened her eyes, but she was forced to shut them again immediately due to the intensity of the light around her. She groaned and sat up slowly, keeping her eyelids closed to block out the glare.

"Oh, good," the voice—definitely a female's, although not familiar at all—spoke again. "I was beginning to think I'd be stuck with nobody to talk to the entire time."

Confused, Katara cracked her eyes open again and looked around. The feeling of coldness in her bones abruptly fled the moment her eyes landed on her surroundings. She was in an open meadow; a plush expanse of vibrant green dotted with colorful flowers. She thought she heard a stream somewhere nearby. "Where am I?" she asked, bringing a hand up to shield her eyes as she opened them further.

"You don't know?" the woman asked, sounding perplexed. "Well, I there goes my guess about you being a spirit."

Katara followed the voice and her eyes fell on the figure of a teenaged-looking girl, maybe a few years older than herself, her dark skin and blue eyes immediately identifying her as Water Tribe. A member of the Northern tribe, perhaps? "Who are you?" Katara questioned.

The older girl gave her a lopsided smile and pointed at her chest with her thumb. "Name's Korra."

The way she said it made Katara feel like she was expecting some kind of recognition at the name, but it certainly didn't ring any bells for her. "Oh, well, nice to meet you, Korra," she said, offering a smile of her own. "My name's Katara."

Korra's expression flickered, mild surprise registering on her face. "Katara, huh? That's a pretty prestigious name."

Katara blinked, taken aback. "I guess." The other girl's knowledge of the rareness of her name surprised her. 'Katara' was a uniquely Southern name, generally reserved for members of the nobility—back when her tribe still had some semblance of a hierarchy. It was one of the few privileges of status she was given as the daughter of the chief. If Korra knew about that, then was she mistaken about her being from the Northern Tribe? But that couldn't be, because Katara knew every member of the Southern Tribe personally.

Then again, she supposed it wasn't _impossible_ for someone from the North to know. She shrugged it off and geared her mind back to the more pressing matter at hand, specifically the absence of her traveling companion. "Hey, um, have you seen anyone else around here? A firebender...a bit older than me, gold eyes, frowns a lot...?"

Korra shook her head. "Can't say that I have. I don't usually see people who aren't spirits around here."

Katara scrunched her nose in confusion. This was the second time this girl had mentioned spirits. "Um, where is 'here', exactly?"

Korra crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her weight on one leg, jutting out a hip. "The Spirit Plane."

"Spirit Plane?" she questioned, dread suddenly creeping through her. "You mean like the Spirit World?"

"Sort of. More like the edge of the Spirit World."

Katara felt panic seize her. "What? But how? I can't be in the Spirit World! I was just with Zuko..." suddenly, memories of the incident she'd been in just recently flooded into her mind. The jet boat, the storm, the wave... It couldn't be... was she...dead? Had she been crushed by the wave? Drowned in the sea? But then, wouldn't Zuko have died too? But he wasn't here...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Korra said, wagging her hands in font of her. "Did you say Zuko? As in _the_ Zuko?"

Katara paused in her panicking to regard the other girl oddly. "What do you mean, _the_ Zuko? What, is he famous around here?"

Korra's eyes widened and something like disbelief crossed her face. She raised her hand and pointed at Katara. "Hold up! You...you wouldn't happen to be Avatar Aang's waterbending master? _That_ Katara?"

"Is there another Katara?" she asked.

Korra stared at her, wide eyed, as if seeing her for the first time. "No way."

Before Katara could say anything to that, Korra took her hands and lifted them over hear head, forcibly turning her this way and that and examining her with amazement.

"You were a _babe_!" the older girl exclaimed, letting her go and stepping back to take her in as a whole again.

"Excuse me?" Katara asked, having no idea how to respond to such a remark. Could this girl get any more confusing?

A look of realization crossed Korra's face suddenly, but it passed quickly and she smiled sheepishly, lifting a hand to rub the back of her head. "Sorry," she apologized awkwardly. "It's just that I've, uh, heard a lot about you. And I was surprised to meet you...like this."

The fear from before came back as Korra reminded her of their current location. Katara bit her lip briefly and then asked, "I'm not dead, am I?"

Her question caused Korra to smile. "I doubt it. That would be a bit problematic for the future." The older girl's eyes turned serious then, and she regarded Katara with an expression of soberness that made her look years—centuries—older. "But you're headed for a different one, I can tell."

Katara cocked her head to the side, still having absolutely no idea what this girl was talking about, but her response meant that she wasn't dead, right? Probably. She looked around again, taking in the luscious greenery and warm breeze. So, this was part of the spirit world? She'd always wondered what the spirit world was like.

Looking back at Korra, she asked, "So, um, are _you_ a spirit?"

Korra laughed at that. "No, no," she replied, shaking her head. "I just have stronger than normal ties to this place. Comes with my job, you could say. I often end up here when I sleep."

"When you sleep? You mean like dreaming?"

"Yep." Korra crossed her arms and her ankles and looking down at Katara with a nonchalant smile.

"Oh," Katara uttered, her mind working. "Then, do you think I'm dreaming too?"

Korra shrugged. "Could be."

"I have been having a lot of strange dreams recently," she divulged. "Although none of them have been quite like this."

"Well you know, dreams are vessels the spirits use to communicate with us," Korra said matter-of-factly. "Something about our consciouses being less grounded to our bodies when we dream...or something like that. Tenzin knows more about that kind of stuff than me." She scratched her chin somewhat embarrassedly. "What I'm trying to say is that if you're having odd dreams, you should pay attention to them. The spirits might be trying to tell you something."

Katara chuckled a bit at that. "Zuko told me exactly the same thing."

Her statement caused Korra to smirk slightly. "Zuko must be very wise."

Katara full on laughed this time. "I don't know about that. I think he just soaks up little bits of wisdom from his uncle."

Korra laughed as well, but her laughter quickly petered off and she gave Katara a look that she didn't quite understand. "You sound pretty fond of him."

Katara couldn't help the soft smile that lifted her lips at Korra's observation. "I don't know... I guess I am." She looked down at her feet as a light blush stained her cheeks. "He's so awkward and dorky...but he's also determined and sweet. It's hard not to like him."

"Really?" Korra asked, sounding surprised. "I never would've imagined him like that."

"Nor would I until just recently," she admitted. "When I first met him, he was a big, angry jerk," she informed the other girl, scrunching her nose at the memory. "But then I got to know him, and sometimes I can hardly believe he's the same person as the guy I met half a year ago. He's still moody and irritable, but he's one of the nicest people I know. He's helped me so much...I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it up to him. I was a real witch to him when he joined us."

Korra turned her chin away awkwardly and Katara thought she saw a hint of a blush on the older girl's own face. "Yeah... I've been known to act that way myself, upon occasion."

Katara smiled. She liked this girl, weird as she was. "So," she said, switching back to their earlier topic, "if the spirits are trying to tell me something through my dreams, what do you think they're saying with this one?"

Korra frowned slightly at her question. "I don't think the spirits were the ones who brought you here," she said, glancing back at Katara out of the corner of her eye. "If you're here, then that can only mean that you did it yourself."

"Myself?" Katara echoed. "But how? I don't remember doing anything that would bring me to the spirit world."

"That's a really good question," Korra said, looking down with a contemplative expression. "I've never heard of someone who wasn't... well, someone like you, being able to come here. It doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean, 'someone like me'?"

Korra lifted her hand to rub the back of her head again. "Oh, um...just that, well, it takes someone with especially strong spiritual energy to come here. People like that are kinda rare, y'know?"

Katara thought about that. "Aang has really strong spiritual energy," she mused. "Do you think he ever comes here?"

Korra chuckled at that. "Oh, I'm sure he does," she answered. "He might not remember it, though. I often forget when I wake up, but it all just kinda comes rushing back the next time I'm here."

Katara sat back down in the grass and pulled her knees in to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Korra did the same. "I wonder how he's doing," Katara pondered aloud. "I haven't seen him or Sokka or Toph or Suki in so long."

Korra gave her an inquisitive look. "Could I ask why?"

"There was an attack on the air temple where we were hiding from the Fire Lord," she explained. "Zuko and I were forced to stay behind when the others escaped. Appa, our flying bison, couldn't carry all of us."

Korra nodded along. "So, you've been separated ever since?"

Katara placed her chin on her knees. "Yes," she answered simply. Then she added, "But it's been good in a way. I've experienced a lot of things that I probably wouldn't've if this hadn't happened. And it's been fun learning about Zuko, too. He was our enemy for so long... I guess traveling with him has helped me really get to know him."

Korra smiled knowingly. "There's this guy I know... I wasn't too keen on him at first, but then we were forced to work together and somewhere along the way he just kind of grew on me. He's a firebender too, actually."

Katara was surprised by that. "A firebender?" she repeated. "You're friends with a firebender? How?"

Korra's posture stiffened. It was just slightly, but Katara noticed. "Oh, uh... well, you know..." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders and looking away far too nonchalantly.

Katara crossed her arms. She smelled a story. "No, I don't," she said, raising an eyebrow at the older girl. Was there some kind of forbidden romance going on with her and this guy? If so, Katara was all ears.

Korra laughed awkwardly. "It's kind of a long story, so..."

"Do you like him?" Katara asked, ignoring her obvious hesitance.

Korra said nothing, but the blush that spread across her cheeks was answer enough.

Katara's face broke into a grin. "You do!" she exclaimed. "You like a firebender!"

Korra turned her nose up huffily and crossed her arms. "So do you," she retaliated.

Katara blushed. "Wha—I do not!" she denied hotly.

"Oh yeah? Well, you sure talk about one a lot," the older girl fired back, lifting a finger from her arm to point at her.

"That's—that's just because I've spent so much time with him lately," she objected. "I don't like him."

Korra grinned and stepped forward to poke her in the chest. "Admit it! You have a big_, __fat_crush on Fire Lord Zuko."

Katara opened her mouth to deny these accusations further, but she stopped and a perplexed look crossed her face. "Fire Lord?"

Korra's face paled. "Ah! No, I mean _Prince_ Zuko," she corrected, laughing awkwardly.

Katara looked at her skeptically. This girl was definitely a strange one.

Without warning, a feeling like intense tiredness overcame her all at once, and Katara reeled. She automatically clutched the grass to steady herself. "Whoa," she said, blinking as dizziness washed over her.

"Looks like you're waking up," she heard Korra's voice as her vision blurred, making the other girl's features swim out of clarity. "Well, it was fun talking to you. Gotta remember this when I wake up."

"Will I ever see you again?" Katara asked as her arms gave out and she began to succumb to gravity.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you will," Korra's voice replied. "But it could be a while."

Katara's cheek hit the grass and she closed her eyes. She hoped she did. She liked this girl, odd as she was.

"Hey," she heard Korra's voice one last time before her consciousness left her. "Hang in there, okay?"

oO0Oo

* * *

><p>Kanna jerked herself out of her half asleep state when she caught stirring from the bed in front of her. Swiftly, she rose from her seat and stood expectantly over the girl in the bed, wrapped snugly in heavy furs. The old woman breathed a sigh of relief when one eye cracked open, followed a moment later by the other.<p>

"Gran...gran?" Katara uttered, bringing a hand up to rub at her eyes. She looked up at Kanna in confusion, and the elder could tell that she was trying to piece things together in her head. Realization sparked suddenly on her face, and with a huge smile she abruptly sat up threw her arms around Kanna's neck. "Gran-Gran!" she cried joyfully.

Kanna's face broke into a smile. "Oh, Katara," she responded, hugging her granddaughter close.

"I've missed you so much!" she said, pulling away and beaming at her. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Kanna raised a brow at her granddaughter's question. "Me? My dear, that is what I hoped to ask you." She moved aside and gestured around the hut for Katara to see.

She wasn't surprised when Katara's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. "I'm...home?"

Kanna nodded.

Katara shook her head disbelievingly. "But...how? When?" Her eyes darted around the room frantically. "Where's Zuko?"

Kanna studied her granddaughter's panicked expression and frowned. Was she referring to the Fire child she was found with? The whole situation surrounding Katara's return was troubling to Kanna, and she didn't know how she felt about her granddaughter's quickness to ask after him. "If you mean that Fire Nation boy you were with, he's recovering in the next room."

Katara's eyes snapped back to her, and there was definite concern in her eyes as she asked, "What do you mean, _recovering_? What happened to him?"

Kanna stood and motioned for her granddaughter to follow her. She lead the distressed girl into the adjoining room and gestured to Sokka's old cot where the son of fire lay sleeping. Beside her, Katara sucked in a breath and then rushed to the boy's side, dropping to her knees by the cot.

Kanna observed her granddaughter as she took in the boy's injury. Katara lifted her hand over his prone form and hesitated just briefly before delicately laying it on his chest. She took a moment to study his wound through the bandages and then reached up to cup his face in both hands. "Zuko," she called softly, peering down at his unresponsive face. "Zuko," she called a little louder, but the young man didn't stir.

Kanna started at the expression in her granddaughter's eyes when she whipped her head around and asked, "What happened? Why is he like this?"

"He was shot by one of our Northern warriors," she told her grandchild evenly. "They saw him approaching the village and assumed he was an invader."

Katara's expression grew furious. "They just _shot_ him? Without even checking to see if he was an enemy first?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

Kanna regarded her granddaughter with a flat look. "He's not?"

Katara cast her a disbelieving look. "Of course not! He's–" she stopped abruptly and the outrage faded from her eyes, replaced by understanding. "You remember him." She looked suddenly anxious.

Kanna nodded. "I recognized him the moment I saw him."

Katara quickly moved so that she was standing protectively between her grandmother and the unconscious firebender. "He's not bad," she declared, her expression earnest.

"I never said he was," Kanna stated evenly. "I'll reserve that judgement for after I've talked to him myself."

Katara breathed a relieved sigh and her posture relaxed slightly.

"Putting that aside for now," Kanna said, shifting the conversation over to what she believed was a more pressing matter, "why are you here? And where is Sokka?"

Katara shook her head slowly, her expression becoming troubled. "I really don't know," she admitted. "The last thing I remember was trying to escape from Azula."

"Azula?"

"This guy's crazy sister," she clarified, gesturing to the boy in the cot. "She's bad news. Her and Zuko don't exactly get along."

Kanna wondered just when it was that her granddaughter became familiar with this firebender's family, but she put that thought aside as she considered Katara's words. She pursed her lips and frowned. "So there are more firebenders running around the South Pole?" If that were the case, she'd need to call a tribe meeting immediately.

Katara shook her head. "No, we were in the Fire Nation."

Kanna's eyes grew large and she regarded her granddaughter with shock. "The Fire Nation?! Spirits of the Earth and sea, Katara! What were you doing in the Fire Nation?" The last she'd heard, her grandchildren had been traveling in the Earth Kingdom with the Avatar. Now Katara was here, not with Sokka or the Avatar, but with a firebender, and she was saying that she'd just been in the Fire Nation, the most dangerous place for a young waterbender girl to go!

Katara bit her lip. "That's kind of a long story..."

"A long story? That's all you have to say?" Kanna took her granddaughter by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "Katara, do you have any idea how dangerous that place is? Those people can kill you and not lose a moment of sleep!"

Katara removed her hands and held them in her own between them. "Gran-Gran, it's okay. I've been all over the Fire Nation. I can handle myself just fine."

Kanna shook her head. "Katara, I know you're a very strong young woman, but the Fire Nation is–"

She was cut off by a low groan from the cot. Katara's reaction was immediate. She dropped Kanna's hands and moved swiftly to the young man's side.

"Zuko," she called once again, her eyes scanning the firebender's face worriedly.

The boy's face scrunched in pain and he sucked in a breath. His eyes slowly opened, as strange and yellow as Kanna expected and had learned to fear when she was merely a girl. He blinked a couple times and then his gaze found Katara's.

"You're awake," he said in a weak voice, and his lips curled upward slightly.

Katara let out a breath and nodded. "So are you," she responded. "How are you feeling?"

The firebender winced and lifted his left hand to his right shoulder, touching the wound lightly. Kanna carefully took note of the familiarity in his tone as he spoke with her granddaughter. "Like I was chewed up by a dragon."

The old woman moved into the boy's line of sight and crossed her arms, deciding to make her presence known. "The arrow pierced your collarbone," she said in a detached voice. "You're lucky you didn't lose your neck."

The boy looked up at her, and Kanna saw the recognition in his eyes. However, instead of scowling like she remembered, his features adopted a guilty expression. "You're–"

"Ah," Katara cut in, coming between them. "I guess I should properly introduce the two of you, huh?" she said, scratching the back of her head. She then gestured to Kanna, and to the firebender, said, "Zuko, this is my grandmother."

Zuko met Kanna's eyes sheepishly and surprised her by nodding respectfully.

"And Gran-gran," Katara continued, addressing her this time, "this is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

"_Prince_ Zuko?" Kanna repeated, her eyebrows rising. Did Katara mean to tell her that this boy was a member of the Fire Nation royal family? The family that had brought nothing but suffering and pain upon the world for a hundred long years... The son of Ozai, the most feared man in the world? And now he was in her home... "I hadn't realized our tribe had received such a distinguished guest those months ago," she said.

Zuko cringed. Clearly the reminder of how he had acted that day was embarrassing for him, and Kanna wondered when he'd had such a change of heart. The boy she remembered hadn't appeared to spare a thought for the terror he'd brought their tribe that day. She was having trouble connecting the look he'd worn back then to the meek expression he wore now. In fact, were it not for the distinguishable scar marring the upper left side of his face, she'd think him a different boy entirely.

She looked down at him sternly; appraisingly. He was the son of Fire Lord Ozai and a dangerous firebender. She had more than half a mind to cast him out into the tundra and let him battle the elements, but although he was both of those things, he was just a child. And more than that, he was someone her granddaughter had somehow come to worry over. True, Katara could be a hair too trusting, but Tui, if that girl didn't have an eye for spotting the good in a person. And this boy surely had some good in him yet. He was young still.

"I will permit you to stay in our tribe," she told him, "as my granddaughter appears to look on you as a friend." The boy perked up a bit at that. "However," she continued, causing his face to fall again, "if you show any hint of enmity or aggression toward her or the people living here, you will be cast out. Do you understand?"

The firebender's swallowed and nodded and then winced as the action pulled at his injury.

Katara noticed and she furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Hold on and I'll heal you," she told him, glancing around the room as though looking for something. "Gran-Gran, where are my water skins?"

Kanna regarded her grandchild with confusion before pulling the dual skins from a closet and handing them to her. "Heal him? Katara, are you able to use waterbending healing?"

When she'd left the tribe, Katara could barely move water. Could her skills have already improved so much?

Katara smiled back at her. "Oh, yeah, I guess you wouldn't know. My bending has come a long way since I left home," she declared proudly.

Kanna regarded her granddaughter with interest. Pakku had told her that Katara had become quite an impressive bender, but he hadn't elaborated on that point. Pakku knew little about healing, so Kanna had assumed it wouldn't have been a part of Katara's training. Really, she had been too busy being amazed that he'd agreed to teach her at all to question him about it when he'd told her. Now she wondered just what new skills her granddaughter had developed.

Uncorking one of her skins, Katara waved a hand over the opening and then frowned, her brows furrowing together.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, frowning as well.

Katara shook the skin next to her ear and then brought the opening to her eye and peered inside. The water's not responding to me."

"What do you mean it's not responding to you? Are you sure it's not just empty?"

Katara tipped the skin and water poured out onto the floor, splashing her toes. Her frown deepened and she thrust the skin back into her grandmother's hands before assuming a bending pose and circling her arms gracefully through the air over the puddle, but the water didn't so much as ripple. She stopped and took a step back, looking down at the unresponsive water with an uncomprehending expression on her face. "I don't understand. Why can't I bend it?"

Without warning, Katara turned on her heel and rushed out of the room. Kanna followed her out to the entrance of the hut and watched as she exited the structure and proceeded to wind her arms in similar motions above the snow just outside. However, like the water from the skin, the snow remained motionless.

Katara dropped her arms and took several steps back, stumbling and falling to her knees just inside the door. She brought her hands to her face and shook her head with a look of shock. "I can't bend," she whispered, a note of panic in her voice. "I can't waterbend."

She turned around and Kanna saw horror in her eyes. "I've lost my bending!"

oO0Oo

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><p>Heeey. So, I may have been a little late with this chapter. *shifty look* But, you know, four months isn't <em>that<em> long. Oh, is that a new pitchfork? *sweats*

Anyway, you've reached the end of chapter 18! Yay! (Or nay.) And what a surprising chapter it was! I've been excited to put this one out for a long, long time. Kind of makes you wonder why it's months late. Well, my friends, that is because I'm a butthole. I hope that answers any and all questions about my tardiness. At first, it was other responsibilities getting in my way, then it was the holidays (very busy time), but more recently it's really just because I'm a butthole. Please accept me for this glaring personality flaw.

How many of you were expecting our heroes to land themselves at the south pole? Probably none of you. Which makes sense, because why on earth would they end up there? In fact, it's quite an interesting story. You see... Naw, you'll just have to wait and find out.

Oh! I'm also excited to announce that the wonderful, magnificent **Jaum** has drawn a lovely picture for this story (and _Haunted_ as well) which can be found on my profile. Fanart! *throws pompoms* Go check them out!

Next chapter: Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko learns a few things and faces a few challenges...and perhaps a bit of competition.


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